


Lie, Cheat, Steal, Fight (just to get home for the night)

by Sylvie Grace (Proclaim_Thy_Warrior_Soul)



Series: Hush, My Dear (it's been a difficult year) [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Additional Warnings Apply, BAMF Alec Lightwood, Background Relationships, Blood and Injury, Child Death, Choking, Concussions, Curses, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Domestic Disputes, Drama, F/M, Food Issues, Handcuffs, Homophobia, Hurt Alec Lightwood, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Kidnapped Alec Lightwood, Kidnapping, Knives, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Character Death, Missing Persons, Multiple Personalities, Murder, Non-Consensual Bondage, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sad Magnus Bane, Suicidal Thoughts, Swearing, Threats of Violence, Worried Magnus Bane, child endangerment, non-consensual magic use, non-consensual undressing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:14:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24253450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Proclaim_Thy_Warrior_Soul/pseuds/Sylvie%20Grace
Summary: "But Magnus," Izzy interrupted his rant. "That's beside the point. Are you really telling me that Alec hasn't been here with you the last two days?"Magnus blinked. "I haven't seen your brother since he stormed out of the here two nights ago, after our little disagreement."
Relationships: Clary Fray/Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Hush, My Dear (it's been a difficult year) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1781941
Comments: 124
Kudos: 325





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tags will be updated as the story progresses. Please be mindful of any triggers and kindly let me know if any tags are missing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But Magnus," Izzy interrupted his rant. "That's beside the point. Are you really telling me that Alec hasn't been here with you the last two days?"
> 
> Magnus blinked. "I haven't seen your brother since he stormed out of the here two nights ago, after our little disagreement."
> 
> Izzy's eyes widened at the implication. "So then where is he?"

Isabelle Lightwood double-timed it up the long flight of stairs to Magnus Bane's apartment, humming a random tune under her breath as she went. Flicking her long fishtail braid over a bared shoulder, she decided that today was a good day. The sun had been shining all week, there was a distinct lull in activity, demonic or Valentine-wise, and her big brother was _officially_ in the Dog House. Cackling gleefully, Izzy reached the large metalbound doorway and banged on it with a closed fist. When no one answered straight away she knocked again, louder and longer and with an added kick from her heavily booted foot for good measure.

Alec had always been the goody two shoes of the Lightwood family... Well, except for the whole Downworlder boyfriend thing...and technically the whole _boyfriend_ thing... _Huh_. Maybe she didn't give her brother enough credit. Even so, he'd messed up big this time. It was definitely a good day. 

Raising a hand to knock for a third time, fully prepared to yell at the top of her lungs if there was still no answer, Izzy grinned as the door flew open before her fist could make contact. "Magnus! There you are!"

The slender warlock in the doorway scowled as he ran a bejewelled hand through his dishevelled black hair; a gesture picked up from too much time around Alec, Izzy noted with an even bigger grin.

"Isabelle?" He sounded surprised. "Not that it's never a pleasure to be graced with your presence in my humble abode, but it is far too early in the..." Magnus paused as he blinked down at his wristwatch, brow wrinkling in confusion. " _Oh_ , the afternoon, apparently." With a delicate sigh he moved aside to allow her into the apartment. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Isabelle took in the state of the loft with a raised and perfectly plucked eyebrow of her own. The curtains were pulled shut to block out the afternoon sunshine, blanketing the large room in shadows, but it only managed to highlight the disarray. Empty and half-drained bottles of liquor littered nearly every available surface not already taken up by stacks of books, paperwork and random jars of ingredients she didn't care to know the names of but looked disgusting. A fancy crystal cocktail glass lay upturned on the corner table alongside a row of sticky shot glasses, the dregs of blue and green liquids of questionable origin staining their insides. Clearly a party was had by all. "Fun night?"

Magnus pulled an oversized pair of sunglasses from the pocket of his silk robe and used them to cover his amber eyes. An answering grunt was the only acknowledgement he gave and Izzy hid a smirk behind her hand. If Alec was late to work because he had a hangover, she'd never let him live it down. That, and their mother would murder him, resurrect him, and murder him again for good measure. 

"I'm here to collect a stray." 

Magnus gave her a blank stare and Isabelle huffed out an impatient breath. " _My brother_ , Magnus. I'm here to collect Alec. He was supposed to be at the Institute hours ago and mom is freaking out because he's never been late a day in his life." Turning away from the Warlock, Izzy headed for where she knew the main bedroom was, throwing open the doors as she called over her shoulder, "Mom thinks you're a bad influence!" The last was said as if a curse, and Magnus wrinkled his nose in distaste.

Finding the bedroom lacking in the six foot, blue-eyed, hairy mess that was her brother, Izzy frowned, turning back to Magnus. "Where is he?"

Padding on bare feet over to the loveseat Magnus flopped heavily into the plush cushions, grabbing a mostly full bottle of whisky en route and taking a giant swig. "Isabelle, darling, I'm not sure where you got the idea from that Alec was here, but unfortunately you're mistaken."

Confusion growing alongside her irritation, Izzy stomped towards the slouching warlock and loomed over him, hands on her slim hips. "You don't have to cover for him, Magnus. I know he told mom and dad he was studying all weekend with Aline but I know for a fact that he was coming here to spend time with you. He was looking forward to it the entire week."

Magnus sighed, abandoning the bottle of whiskey on the floor so he could sit upright. "Look, if Alec sent you over here to soften me up before he comes to apologise-"

" _-Apologise?_ " Izzy squealed, but Magnus carried on as if he hadn't heard.

"-for his ostentatious lies and half-truths, you can tell him that I'm not interested. Not until he decides our relationship is worth more than-"

" _Magnus!_ "

Realising his monologue was going to be ignored and completely unappreciated, the warlock gave up. He wasn't actually mad, anyway. If anything, the past two days had been a stark reminder of how much he'd been looking forward to spending some time with Alexander. That, and drinking wasn't all that much fun when done alone. Snapping his fingers with a resigned breath, the curtains sprung open, flooding the room with daylight and causing Isabelle to blink into the sudden brightness.

Quickly recovering and rolling her eyes at overly dramatic boys and their silly emotions, Izzy joined Magnus on the loveseat, fiddling with her braid. "Look, I get that you're upset Alec lied to our parents about where he was, but it wasn't because he's still ashamed or confused about your relationship. It's because our dad..." She hesitated, not sure it was her place to be gossiping, but eventually decided it wasn't gossip if the information helped clear up whatever argument it'd caused between her brother and his boyfriend. "Dad's been giving Alec a seriously hard time, saying he's prioritizing his relationship with you over his duties to the Clave and that his training is starting to slip." 

Magnus sniffed at the preposterous insinuation. They'd only found time to see each other _twice_ in the last week - Alexander had been training a bunch of new recruits at the Institute in between travelling to Alicante and back for Clave meetings, and Magnus had been dealing with a particularly insolent client that had expected to be waited on hand an foot - _and yet Robert Lightwood still thought that was too much?_

While he'd never been Maryse and Robert's greatest fan, at least Maryse tried to be supportive of her eldest son's lifestyle choices. Robert, on the other hand, had been needlessly bigoted from the very beginning. That man needed to start putting his own affairs in order before he judged others, because Alec was one of the most dedicated Shadowhunters Magnus had ever met, and he'd had the pleasure - well, mostly the _displeasure_ \- of meeting quite a lot of them, so he knew what he was talking about. 

"But Magnus," Izzy interrupted his internal rant. "That's beside the point. Are you really telling me that Alec hasn't been here with you the last two days?"

Magnus blinked. "I haven't seen your brother since he stormed out of the here two nights ago, after our little disagreement." The _and drank myself into the hangover of the century_ was left unsaid, but was so obvious it didn't need to be stated aloud.

Izzy's eyes widened at the implication. "So then where is he?"

Magnus jumped to his feet, once more snapping his fingers. This time it was to change from his wrinkled bedclothes into a pair of skin-tight, black jeans and a remarkably tame, yet almost see-through lavender shirt. The sunglasses disappeared, revealing perfect makeup and no sign of his earlier hangover. He'd even fixed his hair and done his nails – a shade that perfectly matched the lavender of his shirt. Izzy really wished she could get ready at the snap of her fingers.

"I don’t know, Isabelle, my dear, but shall we find out?"

* **SHADOWHUNTERS** *

Half an hour later, Magnus was putting on a brave front for Isabelle but he was genuinely starting to worry. 

Alec might not have been the best at handling his emotions, but he'd matured a lot over the last few months. He wasn't that terrifyingly repressed teen boy who'd thought he was in love with his parabatai any longer, and while the whole storming out after an argument thing was new territory for the pair of them, Magnus was proud that Alec felt secure enough about them as a couple to do so. Before, the young Shadowhunter would've taken Magnus' intentionally spiteful words to heart, sat in a pensive silence as he contemplated what they meant before inevitably accepting all blame, apologising profusely and promising to try harder at making things work. Even when those _things_ weren't technically his fault. That version of Alec had carried the weight of the Shadowhunter world on his broad shoulders for far too long, drowning in his attempts at living up to both the Clave and his parents' ridiculous and antiquated expectations. Admittedly, that was the version that Magnus had been attracted to from the start, but this newer Alec - the one that argued back, threw things and stormed out of the apartment when Magnus was being an overdramatic idiot, the one that went against everything he'd ever been taught to believe in when he realised it'd all been lies - that was the boy Magnus had fallen in _love_ with.

And now he was missing.

Leaving Isabelle on the phone to Jace and Clary, Magnus shut himself inside the bedroom and began making enquiries of his own; each of the fire-messages disintegrating into a puff of smoke before continuing on the journey to their intended recipients. While he wouldn't send an enquiry directly to the Faerie Queen, he had a contact inside the faerie court that could keep her ears open for news or even any rumours. The others he sent to Raphael, Luke, and Catarina, as well as a few warlock acquaintances that weren't likely to use Alec's disappearance as an opportunity to gain favour from him. Magnus just hoped that one of them knew something.

It could all be for nothing. Magnus supposed Alec could still be sulking somewhere, having lost track of time. Anything was possible, after all. Still, between him and Izzy, they'd already started with the most obvious ways of contacting her brother. 

Alec's cell phone had vibrated mockingly from the table in the other room, having been left behind when he'd stormed out days ago, and the fire-message sent for his immediate attention burned away into ash but reappeared in front of them a moment later, unsent. Even their tracking spells had failed, despite Isabelle using one of Alec's arrowheads and Magnus using a lock of his boyfriend's raven-black hair. It was all starting to add up to the fact that Alec couldn't or _didn't want_ to be found. 

Was Alexander really still that upset about their argument? Admittedly, their insults to each other had been harsh, borne out of the kind of exhaustion that could've been easily remedied with a little patience and understanding - _and maybe a few rounds of Tequila._ But instead they'd let their respective stresses get the better of them, lashing out in ways they'd known would hurt. Magnus wished wholeheartedly that he could take back what'd been said, but was an argument really enough of a reason for the teen to up and disappear without telling anyone? 

Magnus didn't think so, which left too many other, less savoury, scenarios. The High Warlock of Brooklyn had many enemies, after all. _If one of them dared to come at him through Alexander, heads would roll._

Slumping onto the mattress with an exhausted sigh, Magnus let his head fall into his hands and closed his eyes, taking a moment to sort through his swirling emotions. Originally, knowing Alec was out there, angry instead of spending quality relaxation time in his company? That had been bad enough, but now having to contemplate the notion that his boyfriend was missing - or worse, _hurt_ \- and not able to get the help that he needed? It made Magnus sick to his stomach. He'd wasted the past two days sulking and getting blackout drunk when Alexander could be dying in a gutter somewhere, mauled by a pack of Shax demons... or worse.

Overcome with the sudden urge to go out and search for his better half - he'd cover the whole of New York if necessary - Isabelle's gentle knock on the door interrupted Magnus' planning. Waving it open with a finger, he offered an encouraging smile as she peered around the frame, her face set in an unhappy scowl.

"Jace and Clary haven't heard from Alec either." The fear in Izzy's voice was palpable, the worry for her brother growing quickly. "But Jace says their bond, it's stable. Alec's not..."

 _Dead. Dying._

"But he could still be injured, couldn't he?" Izzy meant it as a rhetorical question but Magnus nodded his agreement. He'd been thinking the same thing anyway.

"Then I should probably head back to the Institute. Let mom and dad know Alec's in trouble." Her voice cracked on the last word, spurring Magnus to his feet. He pulled Isabelle into an embrace, smoothing down a wayward strand of her hair as he offered what little comfort he could.

"Alexander is a _Lightwood_ ," he reminded her gently. "Brave and stubborn and resourceful. If he's in trouble you know he'll do his absolute best to make it back to us. He wouldn't have it any other way. We'll find him, Isabelle."

There was no other acceptable outcome. 

_They had to._

* **SHADOWHUNTERS** *

Somewhere between opening his eyes and the pain in his head kicking in, Alec realized that he had no clue where he was, other than flat on his back and surrounded by a darkness so thick he couldn't sense anything around him. 

The low rumble of an engine suggested he was on the move, but that was all the information he could glean before the vicious pounding from his skull dragged him back down into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing for Shadowhunters but I eventually got around to binge-watching the series and fell in love! I've made this a mishmash of the show and the books, although I'm only halfway through reading the third, so I have some catching up to do :-)
> 
> Please read and comment - I would love to hear your thoughts <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick search of his pockets came up empty: no stele, no witchlight, no phone. Not that Alec expected things to be that simple. 
> 
> Whoever had grabbed him had obviously planned the whole thing out well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Totally forgot to mention, title is from Power of the Empire (feat Yazz), by Empire Cast

Usually offering a sense of comfort and belonging, today the late afternoon buzz around the Institute only set Isabelle's teeth on edge. When she'd left Magnus' apartment she'd headed straight home to deliver the news about Alec to her mom and dad in person. Needless to say, it hadn't gone down well - _and not just the revelation that her brother had lied about where he was staying during his time off._ Robert's angry outburst meant Izzy was currently ignoring her dad for the foreseeable future. Only adding to her ever-growing frustrations, they'd also decided they weren't going to tell the Clave - or anyone else - about Alec's disappearance. Not yet, at least. 

Robert had jumped all too readily on the initial assumption - that Alec was sulking somewhere after a quarrel with " _that warlock acquaintance of his._ " It made Izzy angry that her father couldn't even stomach the word _boyfriend_ \- by the Angel, they'd been dating for five months! Maryse, on the other hand, didn't want the embarrassment of having to admit to the Clave that they couldn't keep track of their own son - although, to be fair, usually it was Jace causing the drama, not Alec. 

Understandably, being run by ex-Circle members meant the New York Institute was constantly under careful watch for the slightest slip up. Her parents' reaction shouldn't be all that surprising, but Isabelle's worry for her brother was gnawing at her gut with an overwhelming determination. They _needed_ to find Alec. With the Clave behind them the process would go so much quicker - who even cared if it meant they were penalised for it later?

Watching now, as the other Shadowhunters went about their business completely clueless as to the drama unfolding around them, Isabelle felt her anxiety flare. Alec was well respected by the vast majority of them; enough that they would happily join in on the search if it was ordered. _But no_. Instead, her, Jace and Clary were being pulled out of tutoring new recruits and tasked with tracking Alec down on their own. According to her mom, if they had no luck she would force Robert to consider the Clave's involvement, but for now they had to try it this way.

Izzy had called Clary already, so the redhead and Jace were on their way back to the Institute, picking Simon up en route. Izzy was waiting impatiently for them by the elevator, geared up and ready to go. She had to stop herself from checking the time on her phone every few minutes, mentally hurrying them along. Other than Magnus, the four of them knew Alec the best and if her brother really had disappeared in a sulk over a silly argument with his boyfriend they'd have the greatest chance of knowing where to look for him. _And the first opportunity to smack him upside the head._

Izzy didn't believe for a second that Alec could do something so... so _mundane_. It was the sort of thing a love struck teen might do in one of those trashy romance novels she secretly loved to read and hoped no one knew about, but Alec wasn't really like that. He might still be fighting his way through a lot of years of emotional repression but he was too smart to play games with the people that he loved.

Her thoughts wandered back to Magnus. Izzy was glad that he seemed to believe her when she'd shared her fear that something was wrong. Two days with no contact was not like her brother at all. Binge-drinking in a sulk and petty arguments aside, the warlock clearly loved her brother dearly. When she'd left him at the loft, Magnus had mentioned plans to make contact with his warlock brethren, although Izzy wouldn't be surprised if he was out there searching the entirety of New York alone. He might have thought he was hiding it well, but Izzy could tell Magnus was just as worried for Alec's safety as she was. That, and probably blaming himself too. Isabelle hadn't even spared her brother a thought over the last two days, assuming he was having the time of his life with his boyfriend. Magnus must have assumed the same; that Alec had stomped back home and busied himself with his family and friends. _How wrong they both were..._

Hearing the chime of the elevator arriving, Izzy wiped away her tears of frustration and regret, waiting for Jace and Clary to appear. When the doors slid open though, only Jace showed his face and Izzy couldn't help her frown. "Where's Clary?" Obviously Simon couldn't enter the building, the Institute having been built on hallowed ground.

Jace rolled his eyes in response. "The vampire said he wanted to make a stop along the way so Clary went with him. They said they'd join us when they were done." Seeing Izzy's face fall and knowing she was desperate to get out there and start looking for Alec, the blond hip-checked her playfully as he headed for the armoury. "I'll only be two minutes and then we can head out on our own."

Izzy nodded, fingers idly playing with the electrum whip she'd twisted around her wrist. "Wait, Jace-"

Jace paused and turned back to his sister, eyebrow raised.

"Your parabatai bond - have you felt anything new?" Izzy knew she'd asked him that same question so many times already, and she also knew that if anything had changed he would have informed her straight away, but standing around and waiting had never been one of her strong points.

Jace knew this too. Walking back to her side, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Nothing's changed. I can feel him, Iz, - he's _definitely_ still alive. He'll be okay," he promised. "We'll find him."

Jace was the second person today to offer those particular words as a means of comfort. Izzy just wished with the whole of her heart that she could make herself believe them.

* **SHADOWHUNTERS** *

When Alec woke for a second time, it was to the comfort of a soft bed beneath him and the steady whirl of warm air in his face. _Was that a fan?_ When screwing his nose up at the stale smell of the room reignited the pain in his head, Alec took a deep breath and forced his eyes open. One refused, feeling like it had glued itself shut, but the other opened to a tiny slit, revealing a blurry but unfamiliar ceiling staring back at him; once white paint now yellowed, cracked, and flaking. 

Rubbing gently at his sticky eye with one hand, Alec used the other to gently manoeuvre himself into a sitting position, the anticipated wave of dizziness that sent his empty stomach churning with nausea not enough to camouflage the metallic clink as his body shifted on the spring-filled mattress. 

It took a long few seconds for the unnatural sound to register in his pounding head, but when it did Alec frowned, turning to inspect the sturdy metal cuff sitting snugly around his left wrist. Alec followed the short length of chain with his eyes, both now open and not quite believing what they were seeing. The other half of the restraint was attached securely to the heavy iron frame of the bed he was sitting on. He quickly spotted another cuff, this one on his right ankle, beneath the hem of his jeans, that connected him to the other bedpost in an identical fashion.

_What in the Angel's name was going on?_

Giving an experimental tug, both sets of cuffs rattled but didn't budge. Alec could tell they were strong so didn't waste any further energy trying to break himself free. Instead, he assessed his overall condition before taking stock of the room.

Still dressed in his work attire of black jeans, boots, and a worn but comfortable faded-black tee, Alec noticed with a frown that his leather jacket was missing. Not that he needed it. The room was uncomfortably stuffy with an odd smokey scent, a rusted electric fan on the small bedside table nearby blowing warm air in his direction and coating the back of his throat with a film of suffocating dust. A quick search of his pockets came up empty: _no stele, no witchlight, no phone._ Not that Alec expected things to be that simple. Whoever had grabbed him had obviously planned the whole thing out well. _And that was a whole other matter entirely._

Despite the fierce pounding in his skull, Alec could sense the fog clouding his memories starting to lift. _Flashes of Magnus, the loft, and voices raised in anger; slamming doors and Alec activating his runes with a white hot fury coursing through his veins; and then outside Magnus' apartment - a voice calling for his help and_ BLAM! _Alec's head being smashed into the brick wall... once, twice..._

The whole left side of his face felt bruised from his run-in with the wall. Prodding at an extra tender part of his skull, Alec's fingers found a gash in the hairline above his eyebrow. It was deep and swollen, clotted with drying blood, but didn't seem to be actively bleeding. At least he knew why it'd been difficult to open his eyes earlier. Apart from his obvious concussion and the gnawing hunger in the pit of his stomach, Alec seemed to otherwise be in one piece.

_So where in the Angel's name was he?_

The single bed he was handcuffed to hugged the bare grey walls of a small, dim room. A lone bulb hung from the cracked ceiling - the only source of light, so there were no windows - which suggested to Alec that he wasn't being kept on ground level. A partitioning wall blocked Alec's view of whatever was opposite the foot of the bed, but to his right sat the table and fan, and beyond that a set of rickety wooden steps leading up to a door. It all added to his theory of being in a basement of some sort.

The lack of natural light meant Alec had little clue what time of day, or even night, it was. He didn't have a watch, so he could've been unconscious for days, or maybe just hours. His rumbling stomach was no helpful clue; Alec remembered being hungry when he'd headed over to Magnus' loft after he'd finished at the Institute, before their argument had scuppered all of their plans. There was also the thirst, his throat painfully dry, but Alec was again reminded of the nuisance fan merrily blasting dust around the room. 

_Had he been gone long enough yet for anyone to notice his absence?_ Alec sighed, remembering the little white lie he'd told his parents. The same lie that'd upset Magnus before Alec'd had the chance to explain his dilemma fully. Instead, what should've been a peaceful few days of relaxation for the couple had turned into one of their worst arguments to date. So now Magnus probably assumed Alec had stomped off back to the Institute in a sulk - and _okay, maybe that had been his actual plan before someone decided to kidnap him_ \- and his parents weren't anticipating his presence until after the weekend. By the Angel, this is why he should never lie. He was terrible at it!

Alec shifted his stiff body to the edge of the mattress, part of him wanting to knock the annoying fan far away so he could breathe in something other than warm air and dust, but he ignored the urge and focused his attention on the table it sat on. Or more importantly, the drawer underneath it. His movements restricted heavily by the cuffs, Alec stretched his fingers out but could only graze the side of the table even as metal bit harshly into his wrist.

Alec quickly gave up, cursing his luck. Yanking at the metal bracelet and kicking out at the end of the bed in a fit of pique, his heart jumped into his throat at a sudden cry from the other side of the partition.

" _No, no, don't make a noise! He'll hear you!_ "

The voice, loud and terrified, startled Alec enough to knock his head into the brick wall behind him and the blow to his already tender skull sent the Shadowhunter slumping back down onto the mattress.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heart in his throat, Alec could only watch as the man slithered closer.
> 
> "As long as you don't move, this won't hurt."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, please read the updated tags!
> 
> Things get a little intense for Alec in this one, but I promise - nothing remotely sexual happens. Alec just can't help but misconstrue the situation in his terror. I'll add detailed warnings in the end notes for anyone concerned. 
> 
> Stay safe, lovelies!

Magnus stepped out of the glowing portal and back into the loft, snatching the arriving fire-message just as it appeared above his head. Waving the portal away without a second glance, the warlock read the message as the buzzer to the apartment sounded. It was from Catarina, offering her sympathy for the circumstances and a promise to keep an eye out at the hospital in case Alec somehow ended up there. Whilst highly unlikely, Magnus wanted to cover every option and Catarina was a trusted friend. As the buzzer sounded again, Magnus stifled a tired sigh and straightened the collar of his sweeping grey coat, ignoring the vibrating object in his pocket. He was heading straight out again, so he silenced the buzzer with a snap of his fingers and instead slammed the door to his apartment, gliding down the long flight of stairs two at a time.

There were voices coming from the other side of the door, both annoyingly familiar. "Clary, Simon, lovely evening, am I right?" The pair startled at his appearance when he threw the heavy door open with a flourish, unable to stop the roll of his eyes at their lack of awareness. Without stopping, Magnus brushed past and continued on his way. If there was news about Alexander, it would be coming from Isabelle, not those two, and he didn't have time to waste with idle chit chat. 

"Wait, Magnus!" Clary grabbed Simon's arm, pushing him toward the fast-moving warlock. "Simon, stop him!" In the blink of an eye, the vampire was in front of Magnus, blocking his path with an apologetic shrug. 

"Sorry..."

Magnus bit back his angry words and the urge to fling the vampire into the nearest solid surface, replacing them with a calming breath as Clary caught up. "As much as I adore your delightful company, I'm actually in quite the hurry."

Clary nodded. "We know, but Simon had an idea on how to find Alec." 

Raising an eyebrow, Magnus decided he could spare a few moments, if they were quick. Any help was better than nothing, which, according to Isabelle, was exactly what they were getting from the Clave. _Curse Robert and Maryse Lightwood and their stubborn sense of pride_. "Then talk and walk, my dear friends." Manoeuvring around the vampire and the redhead, he continued on his brisk journey around the outskirts of the red brick building and into an adjacent alley, eyes roaming back and forth in search of _something_. In his hand he was clutching one of Alec's broken arrowheads that he'd pulled from his coat pocket.

Clary struggled to keep up but elbowed Simon as encouragement to explain his theory. "Oh, right. My turn." Simon scrunched up his nose, a gesture carried over from his non-dead days of wearing glasses and them constantly slipping down his face. "So, I figured you'd be using all of your warlock-y ways and the Lightwoods would be doing whatever Shadowhunters do to find missing people-" Magnus was only half listening as the pale boy rambled on. "But I figured you might just overlook the more mundane ways of doing things and - _wait_ , I can smell _blood_."

_Damn_. Magnus had feared as much. 

With help from a dear warlock friend, he'd managed to reconfigure the tracking spell so it searched for any _essence_ of Alec, rather than the boy himself. That meant blood, sweat, tears or DNA: any of the not-so-pleasant stuff. Stuff that Alec's anti-tracking rune wouldn't prevent them from locating. The arrowhead he was using to house the spell had gone crazy once Magnus had stepped through the portal and back into his apartment, because Alec was literally everywhere. From his mobile still sitting uselessly on the corner table, to the spare quiver shoved underneath the couch; the clothes he'd slowly been storing in one of the drawers in the main bedroom and his spare boots abandoned neatly by the front door. Magnus was hit with a sharp pang of longing for the teen that had stolen his heart. Shaking the emotion off, he let the arrowhead guide him closer to a conspicuous stain on the nearby wall. 

_Blood_. 

Alec was hurt. 

"Tell me, why were you here again?" Magnus pretended that his voice didn't crack.

Simon was too busy staring at the blood stain on the wall to realise he was being spoken to. Clary remedied that with a solid punch to his arm." _Ow!_ " At her pointed glare he dragged his attention back to the warlock. "Sorry. We just wanted to see if you'd checked the building's CCTV. There's cameras by your building's entrance, you see, and-" looking up at the building opposite he nodded in the direction of the roof, "over there too."

Clary seized the opportunity to chime in. "We tried talking to the owner of the building to see if they'd let us look at the footage, but the woman wasn't very forthcoming."

Intrigued, Magnus waved away Clary's explanation and scrutinised the CCTV camera closely. It was an old model, which would likely work in his favour. Technology and magic really didn't mix well, particularly the newer stuff, but Magnus was almost certain he could make this one do what he wanted. Belatedly remembering the vampire and Shadowhunter watching him patiently, he offered the pair a genuine smile - his first of the very long day. "Sometimes, in our haste, we overlook the simplest of solutions. Mundane recording equipment is apparently one of those things. I never would have though of it."

Simon grinned. Clary just looked confused. "But, don't we need to get the owner to release the recordings to see if it helps us find Alec?"

"Not at all, Biscuit." Magnus winked at the redhead before turning his attention back to the camera. "I'll demonstrate."

Blue flames lit the ends of the warlock's fingers, his face tight with concentration. As Clary and Simon watched, the camera on the wall sparked with an electric blue flare that lit up the alleyway before blinking out of existence. Magnus hummed in satisfaction and opened the palm of one hand, snapping his fingers over the top to reveal a grainy picture of the alley they were standing in. It was floating above his flattened palm like a video screen.

"Is that-?"

At Magnus' nod, the threesome watched the footage in rapt silence as a forlorn Alec wandered through the alleyway, both hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jeans, his shoulders slumped. Magnus felt his heart twist at the sight, knowing he was the one to cause it.

"Wait, _look!_ "

A heavyset man entered the alleyway behind the Shadowhunter, hurrying his pace to catch up to the teen. Magnus didn't recognise him, and from Clary and Simon's continued silence he figured they didn't either. The man in question must have called out, because Alec turned around with a look of surprise on his face. Clary gasped and the vampire winced in sympathy as the man moved faster than his overweight build suggested possible, grabbing Alec by the hair and slamming his head into the brick wall, _once, twice..._ They watched as Alec crumpled like a puppet released from its strings, unconscious after the first blow. The unknown figure quickly slung the teen's limp body over one shoulder before scuttling back down the alley and off-camera.

Magnus stayed silent even as Clary's tearful gasps filled the alleyway, but his magic spoke volumes in his stead; disintegrating the bulb of the nearby streetlamp into a cloud of glass and metal. With a flick of his wrist Magnus replayed the footage, causing Clary to turn away and bury her head into Simon's shoulder to muffle her distress. "Oh, _Alec_."

As painful as the footage was to watch, Magnus repeated it again and again until he was absolutely certain, his brow furrowing as he came to a disturbing realisation. He could tell by the distinct aura around Alec, even on the grainy footage, that he'd activated his _Unseen_ rune after storming out of the apartment. All any mundane viewing the footage in the usual way would see was a man in the alleyway acting crazy, not the vicious kidnapping of a Shadowhunter. Magnus could find no runes visible on the unfamiliar man's skin and whilst it was possible they could be concelaed underneath clothing, a man of that age would typically be covered in them. Alexander, Isabelle and Jace were, and they were but children in comparison. _So how had the potentially mundane man known that Alexander was there?_ There were other possibilities, of course - _warlock, faerie, vampire, werewolf,_ just to name a few - but the more Magnus thought about it the less it made sense. That didn't stop the burning rage that worked it's way deep into the warlock's veins at the man's audacious treatment of his boyfriend. When he found the stranger - and, _oh, he would_ \- there would be hell to pay.

Magnus restarted the footage for a final time, freezing the playback on the best possible view of the kidnapper's face. Taking a moment to commit every detail to memory, the warlock used a spell to create a physical image of the kidnapper, clutching the photograph in his hand - currently his only lifeline to Alec. 

Despite having even more questions than answers - and the fact that the footage of the swift but brutal kidnapping was going to haunt him for a lifetime - Magnus was glad of one thing: they'd finally answered one part of the mystery. Alexander _hadn't_ disappeared of his own volition. Now there was actual proof of foul play, the Clave would have to be involved; Maryse and Robert would have no longer have a choice. 

"I need to get to the Institute," he declared suddenly, startling Clary as she wiped away her tears. "Biscuit, I need you to contact Isabelle and Jace. I'm assuming they've already started their search, but have them meet me there in thirty minutes." At the young girl's nod, Magnus turned his attention to the vampire."I owe you a debt, Simon Lewis. Once Alexander has been returned to us, anything you need, it's yours."

Simon, gobsmacked, didn't have the chance to respond before the warlock had opened a portal. He stepped through, leaving Clary and Simon alone in the darkened alley.

***SHADOWHUNTERS***

" _Ow!_ " 

Groaning, Alec clutched at the back of his head where it had bounced off the wall behind him. He had to grit his teeth against the fresh swell of nausea, panting heavily into the sleeve of his shirt as he fought to keep it under control. Blinking away fresh tears, Alec counted backwards from twenty, refusing to even consider moving from his slumped position until he'd reached zero.

He only made it to sixteen.

" _You really did a number on your head there, kid_."

It wasn't the terrified voice he'd heard a moment ago and Alec's whole body froze, lungs momentarily forgetting how to work as his own fear took over. Cuffed to the bed, weaponless and injured, even his strict Shadowhunter training would only get him so far. 

Turning his head slowly, Alec found the man from the alleyway looming over him. _Where had he come from?_ Beady, hazel eyes returned his gaze, unblinking and sparkling with an edge of _something_ that set Alec's heart stuttering in terror. The stranger was tall, taller than Alec's six feet, and wide, although it looked to be an even composition of muscle and fat. Large biceps stretched the thin material of his grey, stained shirt, even as his gut overhung the waistband of his pants. A mop of dark hair, peppered with grey, sat atop a weathered face; deep lines that could easily be mistaken for scars in the poorly lit room. Alec thought he looked like something from a nightmare, and _he_ faced demons from other dimensions on a regular basis.

Unwilling to remain in such a vulnerable position, the Shadowhunter shifted his aching body back into an upright position, ignoring the rattle of the cuffs and biting the inside of his cheek to quell any noise of discomfort he might otherwise have made. Alec's relief at managing it without puking all over himself was short lived when his kidnapper reached into a pocket and pulled out a switchblade. Heart in his throat once more, Alec could only watch as the man slithered closer.

"As long as you don't move, this won't hurt."

The gravelly words weren't remotely encouraging, but what choice did he have? Alec tried to control his breathing, but as the man and the blade drew nearer, the press of a button springing the blade free with a sharp _snick_ , he found he was lightheaded from the panic. Forcing his eyes away from the knife was a mistake too, the amused sneer on the man's face at odds with his earlier attempt at reassurance. With nowhere to go and no escape possible, Alec steeled himself for whatever was to come, eyes travelling back to the knife against his will.

The blade came to a stop at his tattooed neck, the sharp point pricking the soft skin covered with his _Deflect_ rune before travelling down to the collar of his shirt. Alec knew the stranger was testing him, trying to elicit a reaction, but he'd given him enough already. Alec wasn't going to plead for his life. 

The snick of the blade as it sliced through the thin material sent a shiver down the teen's spine. True to his word, the knife didn't draw blood, but Alec remained as still as was physically possible anyway. When the knife reached the hem of his tee, the man shifted closer and grabbed the material with tabacco-stained fingers, pulling roughly until it fell in tatters, hanging off Alec's broad shoulders. 

Feeling more exposed than possibly any other time in his life, Alec shrunk under his kidnapper's inquisitive gaze as hazel eyes roamed his Marked skin. Despite his earlier declaration of being above begging, Alec felt an overwhelming desperation to do anything in his power to make the man leave him alone; _anything_. His entire body flinched as a hand reached for him, and Alec couldn't have stopped the whimper of fear that escaped even if his life depended on it.

The man huffed out an amused breath, grabbing Alec by his chin and tilting his head from one side to the other, eyes searching. "Don't worry, kid. It's not your body I'm after." He released his bruising grip before folding the knife away and returning it to a back pocket. Alec clenched his jaw, fighting with the urge to cover his exposed skin even as the relief of not being molested or murdered sunk in. A whirlwind of questions assaulted his pounding head but he couldn't find the words to voice a single one, his throat too dry.

Perching his hefty weight on the bedside cabinet, the man seemed content to stay silent; watching and waiting; his arms crossed, as if debating his next steps. The silence was uncomfortable, and despite the warm room Alec was shivering.

"What's your name, kid?" The question came suddenly, catching Alec off-guard. Before he could decide how he was going to answer, the man continued. "We're gonna be spending the foreseeable future together, so there's no reason why we can't be on friendly terms. You can call me Franklin."

Alec couldn't help the scowl. _He'd been kidnapped, handcuffed and stripped of half his clothes and now the man wanted to be friends?_

Sensing his disbelief, Franklin chuckled, the sound bouncing off the walls in the enclosed room like something from a horror movie. A moment later, with his laughter still echoing, Franklin's face changed, all humour evaporating in an instant. " _Don't make me ask you again_."

Alec swallowed, trying to work up enough moisture in his throat to answer. Listening to the small voice screaming in the back of his head that told him not to give out any useful information, the Shadowhunter decided to take a risk. "I'm Nathan. Nathan Midwinter." It was a name plucked from thin air, but Franklin nodded as if committing it to memory. The relief at his deception being accepted as truth did nothing to diminish the lingering terror. Alec had seen how quickly the man's mood could change, like the flip of a switch, and his pounding head was a glaring reminder that he wouldn't abstain from any threatened violence.

"Now, Nathan. I'm going to need you to do something for me." Before Alec could conjure up a hundred different gruesome scenarios for what his kidnapper might want, Franklin reached between his knees and slid open the drawer that Alec had tried to reach before. 

_Inside was his stele._

Stunned at how close he'd been to, quite possibly, his only means of escape, Alec had to close his eyes and take a deep breath, overcome by an irrational wave of anger.

Franklin lifted the metal tool, twirling it expertly between his thick fingers before holding it out to Alec on the flat of his palm. When the teen made no move to take it, uncertain of the repercussions if he did, the overweight man frowned. "It's okay, I just need you to reactivate your _Block_ rune so your family, or the Clave, won't be able to track you."

Alec was glad he was already sitting or his legs might have given out beneath him. In the back of his mind, he'd already considered, even accepted, that _something_ was off about Franklin. Kidnap aside, when Alec had stormed out of Magnus' apartment he'd already activated his _Unseen_ rune, not wanting to deal with pesky mundanes, and yet the man before him had not only been able to _see_ him, he'd managed to sneak up behind Alec and knock him unconscious. There was no other conclusion to be made.

"You're Nephilim."

It wasn't a question, but Franklin's arrogant smile was answer enough. Alec let his eyes scan the man's tanned skin but no visible Marks could be seen, not even the faint lines left behind by temporary runes. "Deruned by the Clave?"

It was the wrong thing to say. 

Quicker than Alec thought possible, Franklin had him around the throat, fingers gripping tight enough to bruise as his air supply choked off. With only one hand free to defend himself, the Shadowhunter clawed at the punishing grip while Franklin hissed in his face, the stench of stale cigarette smoke invading his nostrils at their close proximity. " _Don't pretend to know me, child. Even without runes I can destroy you!_ "

Just as the room started to fade, the lack of oxygen dragging him back towards unconsciousness, Franklin relinquished his hold on Alec and took a step back, calmly returning to his perch on the bedside cabinet. Alec collapsed against the mattress, fighting to suck in enough air to replenish his lungs as he coughed and spluttered, rubbing gingerly at his bruised throat. Franklin held out the stele once more and this time Alec took it without hesitation, not willing to risk another altercation that he had no hope of winning. Reactivating his rune with shaking hands, Alec handed the stele back without needing to be asked. 

Franklin pocketed it instead of returning it to the drawer, apparently not trusting _Nathan_ with his knowledge of its whereabouts, and clambered to his feet. "You must be hungry. Stay right there and I'll bring you some food."

Alec couldn't keep up with the man's changing temperament, choosing to close his eyes and not acknowledge the offer of feigned kindness. It wasn't like he could go anywhere. Pulling the remnants of his shirt back into place, Alec wanted to scream, but wouldn't give his kidnapper the satisfaction. With the anti-track rune active, there was little hope of Magnus or his family being able to find him. He was reminded once more of his earlier thought: _Did they even realise he was missing yet?_ Alec wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

Franklin left without another word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: non-consensual undressing - The kidnapper uses a knife to cut through Alec's shirt so he can see the Marks beneath his clothing. Alec panics, and for a moment fears he'll be molested or murdered.
> 
> Choking: Alec angers his kidnapper, who reacts by choking him until he almost passes out.
> 
> Notes: Yikes, poor Alec isn't having much fun! The next chapter has been an absolute nightmare to get finished, but I'm almost there. I would love to know what you think of the story so far! More next week!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert's cry of dismay as Maryse collapsed to the floor was the last thing any of them heard before Magnus waved a hand at the door, slamming it shut with a burst of blue magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so incredibly grateful for your feedback! This chapter was being stubborn, but all of your lovely comments got me back on track ❤
> 
> Please remember to read the tags! Warnings for Franklin's sucky attitude and his love of that darn switchblade - sorry, Alec!

Clary was back at the Institute by the time Magnus portalled in, slightly later than planned, his face blank as he struggled to control his emotions and the ever-growing concern for Alexander. Isabelle met him at the entrance, her own worry easy to read in the pallor of her young face and limp, unbrushed hair. She was still in her black Shadowhunting gear; electrum-wound whip coiled uselessly around her slim, tattooed wrist. She looked precisely how Magnus felt: prepared for a fierce battle whilst anticipating her world crumbling around her at a moment's notice, and he envied her that freedom - of being able to show her distress freely while he had appearances to uphold. As she escorted him the short distance to her father's private offices, where hopefully everyone had gathered for the meeting Magnus had demanded, she seemed to be struggling to find the right words.

"Alec was... Clary, she said that he-" 

Magnus took pity on the girl, not giving her the chance to finish. "My dear Isabelle." Just as they reached their destination he pulled her to one side, out of view of the rest of the Institute's occupants traversing the long hallway. He kept his voice low on the off-chance someone might overhear, uncertain yet if the other Nephilim had been apprised of the situation. "Alexander needs us to be strong. This new information, whilst highly disturbing, is clear evidence that your brother will be kept alive." Magnus hadn't yet shared his discovery with anyone, not keen on having to repeat himself.

With a delicate sniff, Izzy frowned up at the tall warlock, her dark brown eyes wide and hopeful. "How so?"

"Because not many would go to the effort of kidnapping someone they planned to outright kill." It was blunt, but Magnus also knew it to be the truth. If the goal had been to kill Alec, the man had missed the perfect opportunity when he'd snuck up behind the distracted teen in the alleyway. "This _man_ , he needs Alexander for something. Once we discover what that _something_ is, we'll better know how to find him."

Isabelle considered Magnus' words for a moment before nodding. Taking a deep breath, the young Shadowhunter straightened her shoulders and replaced her fear with a look of determination. _Alec needed everyone to be strong_. She couldn't fall apart at the myriad of unanswered questions - who, why and where. There would be time for that later, once Alec was back with them and safe. "Okay. You're right, Magnus. Thank you."

Magnus offered a simple nod before turning his attention back to the matter at hand. Throwing open the door to Robert Lightwood's office without knocking, he stalked up to the heavy mahogany desk where the large man sat with his arms crossed. The friendliness and compassion Magnus had readily offered Isabelle vanished, replaced with a righteous fury that burned through his veins, setting off sparks of blue magic from the tips of his fingers. Maryse, standing tall at her husband's side, wore her usual stern scowl but Magnus could see it as little more than a facade, her dark features unable to hide the fear for her eldest child. _At least one of them was worried._

Ignoring the room's other occupants - Jace and Clary huddled in one of the corners; Isabelle a few steps to the rear as she closed the door behind them for privacy - Magnus pulled the photograph of Alec's kidnapper from his coat pocket without his usual flourish and slammed the sheet of paper down onto the tabletop. The force behind his blow set the desk's assortment of clutter quaking, an expensive rhodium-plated pen balanced on a pile of folders rolling over and over until it fell from the edge. Robert made no move to pick it up.

" _Franklin. Blacktower_." Magnus hissed out the name through gritted teeth, watching closely for any reaction from the man in front of him.

After leaving Simon and Clary outside his building complex, Magnus had called in multiple favours in the short time he had available, finding himself further indebted in his efforts to put a name to the face of Alexander's kidnapper. He was persistent and demanding, using the title of High Warlock to his advantage despite many of his acquaintances unwilling to involve themselves in the business of Shadowhunters, until eventually, after much bribery, haggling and outright threats, he'd found success. _Franklin Blacktower_ was an ex-Shadowhunter, exiled from the Clave over seventeen years ago. What Magnus hadn't been able to ascertain was _why_ , and for what reason, if any, he would have to target Alexander in particular.

Maryse gave a dreadful gasp, one hand flying to her mouth in a failed effort to cover the sound as she took a stumbling step backwards, removing herself from the vicinity of the photograph. If possible, her face paled even further, her skin almost translucent. Robert, who up until that point had shown no visible emotion, swallowed audibly, reaching a hand out to comfort his wife before realising she was no longer at his side.

"- _Mom? What's going on?_ "

"- _Who is Franklin Blacktower?_ "

The questions came suddenly, sounding loud in the enclosed space; Jace and Isabelle obviously stunned by their parents' reactions. Clary remained silent, but having seen the CCTV footage firsthand - and now the Lightwoods' reactions to Alec's kidnapper - she had a strong feeling things were going to get a lot worse before they got better.

Jace jumped to his feet, brushing off Clary's attempt at holding him back as he came to a stop beside Magnus, the young Nephilim's body vibrating with anger and confusion. The blond snatched up the photograph, studying it closely before waving it threateningly in his adoptive father's face. "What in the Angel's name is going on here? _Do you know this man?_ Why would he want to hurt Alec?"

Robert took a deep breath, ignoring the flurry of questions and stealing a moment to pull himself together before he pushed his chair back from the desk, the four legs scraping across the hardwood floor with a deafening screech. Standing tall, he grabbed the photo from Jace's clenched fist and crumpled the paper into a tight ball, as if the sight of it was too much to handle. His voice, roughened by emotion, ordered Isabelle, Jace and Clary away, not allowing any room for argument. "Out. _Now!_ "

Jace opened his mouth to argue, but Izzy, watching her mother falling to pieces in the background, grabbed him by the shoulder and herded him forcibly in the direction of the door. As Clary scrambled to her feet to follow them out, Magnus caught Isabelle's eye with an unspoken agreement to find her and fill her in once he had details. 

Robert's cry of dismay as Maryse collapsed to the floor was the last thing any of them heard before Magnus waved a hand at the door, slamming it shut with a burst of blue magic.

***SHADOWHUNTERS***

Alec focused on getting his breathing under control, ignoring the sound of Franklin's booted feet as the large man stomped up the rickety stairs and out of the door at the top. Grateful for the respite but not knowing how long it would last, he manoeuvred his way back into a seated position, prodding at the fresh bruises ringing his throat with a grimace. 

Alec knew he needed to find a way to escape. Not just because Franklin was violent and dangerous but because the ex-Shadowhunter was clearly in the midst of planning something - against the Clave, if his earlier reaction was anything to go by, or maybe the Institute. Either way, Alec wasn't going to allow himself to play any part in it. Not when it would put his family and friends in danger. While Franklin accepting his fake name without question might offer a modicum of comfort, Alec didn't want to contemplate the fallout if he somehow discovered he had someone with ties to the Head of the New York Institute in his grasp.

Knowing his chances at a successful escape were much greater while Franklin was occupied elsewhere, he turned his attention to the restraint at his wrist. Alec wasn't stupid. He might be an excellent fighter but he wasn't going to fool himself into thinking he could defeat the ex-Shadowhunter one-on-one, not in his current condition. _Maybe if Jace was here instead..._ His parabatai would kick Franklin's ass without even breaking a sweat - _and_ he'd look like a badass doing it - but Alec wouldn't wish his current predicament on anyone, not even the recklessly loyal blond.

Ignoring the line of reddened skin beneath the shiny cuff, the teen used all the strength he could muster to try squeezing his hand free from the metal. When all he'd achieved after a minute was a scraped wrist and more bruises to his ever-growing collection, Alec gave in and moved to the cuff at his ankle, throwing a worried glance up at the door. _Franklin was due back at any moment._ With only one hand free it wasn't an easy position to maintain, but Alec kicked his boot off and tried all the same. The cuff at his ankle was a little looser than the one at his wrist, but despite his best efforts it was still impossible to get free, no matter how hard he pulled or twisted.

Frustrations growing, Alec slipped his boot back on but didn't bother with the laces. Running a hand through his limp and dust-coated hair, he hissed in surprise as his fingers found the fresh bump at the back of his skull - the shock of pain jogging his memory, reminding him of the voice that had shouted out its warning before Franklin's unexpected arrival. Scanning the room with a fresh sense of unease, Alec strained his ears to hear above the steady thrum of the rotating fan. The voice had sounded young, he remembered; young and terrified. Thoughts of an innocent kid being caught up in Franklin's crazy games made Alec's stomach hurt, igniting his protective streak as he pictured his little brother, Max, in the same situation. Alec had to physically shake the thought away, taking a breath before calling out. 

"Hello?" 

When the word came out as little more than a croak, Alec stifled a cough into the crook of his arm as the dust irritated the back of his throat. He tried again, a little louder. "Is anyone there?"

 _Nothing_.

The doubt started to creep in until Alec concluded that maybe he'd imagined the warning. It was probably a side effect of the concussion, his brain reacting to the sound of Franklin's approach and panicking, but even so, the voice had sounded so _real_ at the time. 

Overcome with a wave of weariness, Alec supposed he should feel some kind of relief as he slumped back down onto the mattress with a long exhale. He wasn't sure he could keep himself safe, let alone have anyone else dependant upon him. 

Trying to find a comfortable position to lay in that didn't tangle him in the handcuffs or aggravate his pounding head was a losing battle and Alec gave up after a few minutes, resuming his vigil of the cracked ceiling; his free arm wrapped around his stomach as his fingers clutched the pieces of his shirt together. He wasn't cold but the stifling atmosphere of the room did little to soothe the tremors that ran through his body, leftover adrenaline from Franklin's unprovoked attack and his body's need to stay alert for when he inevitably returned. 

Alec had known fear before, and not just the struggle of hiding the true _him_ from his family. Fighting demons, rogue vamps and werewolves was no walk in the park either, but it was so ingrained into his psyche now that he could use it as a strength. Franklin and that knife, on the other hand, had been _something else entirely_. That fear had left him paralyzed. Weak; _powerless_. It was fortunate that the man's intentions hadn't been quite as terrifying as he'd insinuated, and now the terror had abated and Alec could analyse the situation with a rational mind, Franklin had obviously been cataloguing his runes. But that didn't stop Alec from feeling... _dirty_. Like the terror had coated him in a layer of grime that he desperately needed to wash away.

Shying away from any further thoughts on the subject, Alec tried to focus his mind on the new information he'd discovered instead. Namely Franklin's ex-Shadowhunter status. He'd never given much thought to those the Clave deemed unworthy of their bloodline. Despite the threat of deruning hanging over all Nephilim that broke the Clave's law, it was a rare enough occurrence that Alec couldn't recall it happening. Not since the Circle had originally been dismantled, at least. What he did know was that it was meant to hurt. A lot. _Was that enough to explain his kidnapper's scarily violent outbursts?_ Somehow, Alec figured not. The guy just seemed angry in general. Trying to picture himself in Franklin's position, knowing the existence and potential threat of demons, vampires, faeries, and werewolves and yet being unable to defend from their attack seemed like a living nightmare. Alec wasn't sure he'd handle it very well either, but that still didn't excuse Franklin's actions.

As if drawn by his thoughts, the door at the top of the stairs clanged loudly as it was thrown open. Alec ignored the pounding in his skull and quickly resumed his upright position as Franklin kicked the door shut behind him, both hands busy holding a loaded plastic tray. The exhaustion, pain, and hunger was starting to reach a crescendo, but Alec stubbornly refused to let it show on his face.

The smell of hot food permeated the room as Franklin descended the stairs one at a time, causing Alec's stomach to growl in appreciation. It wasn't until the man was a few feet away that the welcome scent clashed with the musk of stale cigarette smoke that seemed to be permanently embedded into his kidnapper's skin. Alec had to grit his teeth against the returning urge to vomit. 

Franklin's face remained blank as he dumped the tray into the Shadowhunter's lap, revealing a warm bottle of water and a plastic bowl of congealed pasta coated in a bright yellow, grease-curdled sauce. It was the sort of thing Izzy would cook up once a month when she was put in charge of the kitchen. Something from a packet that tasted a lot worse than it looked - and it usually looked _horrific_. As far as Alec was concerned, once a month was far too generous and his sister's privileges should be revoked until the next century, at least. Usually he could make his excuses to get out of eating her concoctions, but he wasn't sure he was going to be that lucky today. On the plus side, there was a plastic spoon but no other utensils, so clearly Alec wasn't trusted not to use the cutlery as a weapon. Not that he'd risk it, especially after Franklin's last outburst, but it lifted his spirits to know he was perceived as a threat despite the restraints.

Franklin perched his bulk back onto the bedside cabinet, blocking the blast of the fan and causing the furniture to creak as he crossed his arms, watching Alec closely. Alec picked up the spoon so he'd have something to do, though he had no intention of putting any of the disgusting slop into his mouth. His stomach wouldn't cope.

"I thought you'd be ravenous after eighteen hours unconscious, kid." 

Alec couldn't decipher Franklin's tone so he kept his eyes locked on the bowl and used the plastic utensil to stir the yellow gloop. _Eighteen hours?_ That meant he'd been gone nearly an entire day already. At least if no one had realised he was missing yet it only meant another twenty-four hours until his whereabouts would be questioned and a search organised.

" _Nathan_ , I'm a little insulted you're not eating," Franklin interrupted his thoughts. "Are my cooking skills really that bad?" 

He could sense the sarcasm this time, but, not wanting to trigger the man's easily-fuelled anger, Alec offered up an apologetic smile. "Sorry, it's my head... the concussion, I-" Feigned dramatics were more Izzy's thing, but Alec could get by when he needed to. That, and his head actually felt like it could explode, so it wasn't too far from the truth. "I really don't... I don't think I could keep it down."

Franklin went back to studying Alec, his beady eyes unblinking. The stare was unnerving and Alec had to fight not to look away even as his skin crawled under the intense gaze. It felt like hours had passed before Franklin seemed to come to a decision, reaching into his back pocket to pull out Alec's stele. Before offering it to the cuffed teen, Franklin also pulled out the switchblade with his other hand and Alec put every effort into holding back his flinch as the blade snicked free once again, hovering uncomfortably close to his face. "I'm feeling generous, alright, kid? _Don't make me regret it_." 

Alec took the offered stele without a word, gripping the wand-like tool with sweaty fingers. His original plan had only been to save him from the embarrassment of puking all over himself if he was forced to eat the food, so he wasn't completely certain what he was supposed to be doing. He watched Franklin carefully, eyes travelling from him to the knife and back again, waiting for permission.

"Use your _iratze_." The sharp words matched the blade as it inched closer. Alec didn't breathe. "I'm gonna need that head of yours in good working order for tomorrow, so go ahead. Just don't try anything stupid, kid."

Alec nodded his acquiescence, thankful that he must look as bad as he felt if Franklin was allowing him the opportunity to heal some of his injuries. The _iratze_ stung as he quickly drew the rune close to his heart, not wanting the ex-Shadowhunter's unpredictability to make him change his mind before the rune could be finished. It flared gold, sinking into Alec's pale skin; the pounding in his skull fading almost immediately to a dull background throb and the swollen bruises at his throat easing with every swallow. Even the cut at the top of his head wasn't quite so painful, although it would take more than a single healing rune to fix that one up completely.

Franklin held out an expectant hand once he'd finished and Alec hesitated, just for a second, weighing up the chances of sending out an SOS through his parabatai bond before his kidnapper could make a move to stop him. As if sensing his thoughts, Franklin smirked. 

Between one blink and the next, the sting of the switchblade was at Alec's throat, drawing a thin line of blood as he swallowed. Leaning in close, his mouth at Alec's ear, Franklin chuckled darkly. "I'd be disappointed if you hadn't at least considered making a move, kid. You _are_ a Shadowhunter, after all." The knife dug in a fraction deeper, just below his Adam's apple, and Alec had to bite his lip to stop the hiss of pain from escaping as he felt blood track warmly down his throat. "I'll let you off this once, but you _won't_ get a second chance."

Grabbing the stele from Alec's limp fingers, Franklin took it and the knife away but not before wiping the blood staining the blade on the teen's cheek. "I'm turning the light out in five, so eat up. We've got a busy day tomorrow and you'll need your strength." With a nod at the partitioning wall, he offered Alec a toothy grin but there wasn't an ounce of humour to his next words. "I'm only on the other side of that wall, so if you make a sound I'll kill you and then I'll find someone else to take your place. Do you have a brother or a sister, Nathan? It makes no difference to me."

Fists clenched, Alec watched as Franklin disappeared around the other side of the wall, waiting until he was completely out of sight before he wiped the sticky smear of blood from his cheek. The ex-Shadowhunter could threaten all he wanted, but Alec knew that Jace, Izzy and Max were safe while Franklin still believed he was Nathan Midwinter, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure it stayed that way. 

Alec picked up the water bottle and swallowed half of it in a few large gulps, the tepid liquid hitting his empty stomach and fooling it into thinking it was food. By the morning, he'd probably regret turning his nose up at the pasta, but Alec couldn't bring himself to care. Dumping the tray and his untouched bowl on the floor, Alec used one end of his shirt to staunch the steady drip drip drip of blood from his neck. Luckily it wasn't a deep cut, but it bled freely all the same. 

Laying back down, Alec rolled onto his side just as the bulb flickered out, swallowing the room in darkness. Closing his eyes and blocking out the sounds of Franklin settling onto another mattress, the springs creaking loud enough to be heard over the hum of the fan, the teen prayed to the Angel that Magnus and his family were safe and that sleep would come quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, does anyone have any ideas on Franklin's history with the Lightwood's yet? 😁 Stay tuned for more next week!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You can stay out of it. This doesn't involve you, warlock." Robert spat the last word like a curse, rising to his feet to loom over the still seated Magnus. 
> 
> Clamping down on the urge to fling the man across the room, Magnus simply slouched further into his chair and crossed an ankle over one knee, raising an eyebrow in challenge. "If it wasn't for me, Nephilim, you'd still be clueless as to who had taken Alexander."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm posting a day late - I've just started back at work after maternity leave, so things have been a bit manic! ♥️

Alec was still awake several hours later, his exhaustion refusing to drag him the final few steps towards the bliss of slumber. There was a painful crick in his neck and the metal of the cuffs was digging into his already tender skin, but each time Alec shifted position to make himself more comfortable, Franklin would stir, as if the slight sound of the mattress creaking or the cuffs jangling was enough to disturb him. Although no longer bleeding, Alec's throat still stung from the switchblade - a vivid reminder of Franklin's hair-trigger temper - and he knew he couldn't afford to provoke the man again. Not unnecessarily, anyway.

Resigning himself to the fact he wasn't going to get to sleep any time soon, Alec let his thoughts wander. It was still dark, but his eyes had adjusted enough to pick out the outline of the now-familiar features of the room: the fan, the stairs, the door that was so close and yet still too far away. If his calculations were correct, it would be the early hours of Sunday morning and that meant Magnus would probably be...

_No_.

Alec halted those thoughts with immediate effect. He wasn't going to think about Magnus, or his parents; not even about Jace or Izzy and Max, because he needed a clear head if he was to figure out a way of escaping. If he let himself dwell on the people he loved, even for a moment, he was likely to do something stupid - and Franklin was far too dangerous to be _stupid_ around. Whatever the man's crazy plan might be, Alec needed to do everything in his power to not let it come to fruition, and if that meant refusing to comply no matter what consequences Franklin might throw his way, Alec knew he would willingly sacrifice himself over and over if it meant his family and friends would remain safe. 

But what _did_ Franklin have planned? It was clear he needed Alec for something, but what? It wasn't likely to be a ransom attempt. Maybe if Franklin knew his real name he might try, but for now it seemed like the man had accepted Alec's fake identity without question. So what could Alec, or _Nathan Midwinter_ , for that matter, offer to the ex-Shadowhunter?

_Information_ , was the obvious answer. Up-to-date knowledge on the Clave, perhaps? Somehow, Alec didn't think that even Franklin was mentally-challenged enough to believe he could take on the Clave and walk away successful. But what about something more attainable, like the New York Institute? _Nathan_ would potentially know important details, like the building's exits, defence strategies or how strong the wards were and how often they were renewed. _Could he be planning an attack on the Institute?_

The thought woke Alec up completely, pulse skyrocketing as images of the potential massacre assaulted his brain. Ignoring the jangle of his cuffs and the creak of the mattress, he sat up, gasping for air as the panic seized control of his lungs. He couldn't let it happen; _he wouldn't!_

Alec was so caught up in his imagined future - _Jace, Izzy, Max,_ all of them dead from Franklin's unexpected attack - that the voice calling his name didn't register at first.

"-Nathan? Nathan, are you okay?"

When the words finally breached the fog of panic, Alec choked on his next breath. _It was the young boy's voice from before..._

***SHADOWHUNTERS***

Magnus observed the Lightwood patriarch as he rushed to his fallen wife's side, dropping down onto the hard floor and tugging her into an embrace. It was the most emotion he'd witnessed from the dark-haired man since Alec had reintroduced Magnus to his parents as _his boyfriend._ Back then, it had been a combination of anger and disgust twisting the Shadowhunter's already dark features until he was almost unrecognisable. Now, however, the man's olive skin was pale and lined deeply with distress. _Funny,_ Magnus mused, _how he could show concern for his wife, and yet very little for his missing son._

Although he had nothing kind to say about Alec's father, Maryse was a different story. Despite how often she came across as a stern and frightfully cold woman, Alexander clearly loved her with the whole of his heart and, although reluctant to admit it, Magnus was slowly warming to her himself. It wasn't an easy feat. The Lightwoods had a past as colourful as some of his outfits, and their paths had crossed quite dramatically many years ago, before Alec was born. Back then they'd been on opposing sides, the Circle versus Downworlders, so sometimes it was still difficult, having to reconcile the Maryse of _then_ with the woman she was today. 

At least witnessing the fallout of his revelation firsthand showed that Franklin Blacktower was just as much of an unpleasant surprise to Alec's parents as he'd been to Magnus. Jace and Isabelle had only reinforced that belief, their questions at the revelation of their brother's kidnapper proving they had no prior knowledge of the man. But still, this exiled Shadowhunter, whoever he was, seemed to be entwined with the Lightwood family somehow, and Magnus was concerned about what exactly that mean for Alec. He needed answers.

"Whilst I expect this may have come as somewhat of a shock to you both," Magnus interrupted as delicately as he was able, "I'm afraid I must hurry the conversation onwards. Who is Franklin Blacktower?"

Maryse flinched, as if the name had struck her physically, and Robert placed a gentling hand on her cheek, raising his eyes to the ceiling as if praying to his Angel would delay the inevitable conversation from having to start. Magnus waited, studying the pair with curiosity. They'd rarely shown an ounce of affection to each other in the entire time he'd known them, so the display taking place now was most peculiar.

Maryse broke the lingering silence with a delicate sniff, wiping hurriedly at her eyes before meeting Robert's concerned gaze. A conversation without words passed between husband and wife and a moment later Maryse gave a shaky nod of her head. When Robert offered a steadying hand, they both rose to their feet as one before making their way back to the desk and to Magnus.

Magnus snapped his fingers, stealing an extra couple of chairs from somewhere within the Institute - one for Maryse, who looked unsteady on her feet, and another for himself - before slumping into the closest and grabbing a pitcher of water from the tray he'd also summoned from the kitchens. Pouring three glasses the old fashioned way, Magnus waited.

Taking her seat, Maryse took a moment to compose herself, wiping the smudges of make-up from under her eyes and smoothing a hand over her hair before she wrapped both hands around the glass in front of her. She met Magnus' golden eyes and took a deep breath, her voice faltering as she voiced her concerns. "A-are you completely certain?"

Magnus frowned. "Certain?"

"Is it definitely _him?_ " Robert snapped as he sat down next to his wife, one fist clenched, his other hand gripping the edge of the desk. He didn't touch his water, eyeing the glass with a look of disdain and Magnus was reminded of the days when Shadowhunters would throw out anything touched by Downworlders, so as not to be _tainted_ by them. With grim amusement, part of him wondered if the glassware he'd summoned - or even the chair he now sat in - would survive the day.

"The man that kidnapped your son _is_ Franklin Blacktower." Ordinarily, Magnus would be insulted at the blatant insinuation that he might've made a mistake, but Magnus didn't play games, not when it came to Alec's wellbeing - and not when he was already blaming himself for missing that his boyfriend was in danger in the first place. He owed a lot of future favours in payment for the assistance in digging up Blacktower's name, but he'd happily do it all over again, and owe a thousand more, if it meant he would get Alexander back safe. "I can show you, if you'd prefer to see for yourselves?"

Sensing the rising tension between Magnus and her husband, Maryse nodded quickly. She slid one hand across to Robert and the man had to release his grip on the edge of the table in order to offer her the needed comfort.

Magnus regretted his offer almost immediately. He'd watched the footage far too many times in a bid to find hidden clues that unfortunately didn't exist, but he couldn't renege on the offer now. Drawing on his waning strength to conjure up the scene from the alleyway, he held out the palm of his hand and focused his attention on the Lightwoods instead of the images playing out in front of him.

Maryse took a steadying breath as the footage started to play. Robert's hand had moved to his wife's shoulder, both leaning in closer as Alec made his way solemnly through the alleyway outside Magnus' apartment. Magnus counted to five in his head. He could pinpoint the precise moment Franklin Blacktower reached Alec because even Robert flinched at the viciousness of the attack. Maryse turned away, fresh tears falling down her face, so Magnus froze the playback on an image of the ex-Shadowhunter's face. No one needed to see their unconscious son being carried away like a piece of discarded trash. 

When no one said anything, Magnus was once more the one to break the silence. "I've given you your proof, ugly as it may be, but now it's time for answers. What does Blacktower want with Alexander?"

It was Robert, his voice thick with emotion, who responded, uttering the words Magnus had been dreading from the start. 

" _Revenge_. He wants revenge."

***SHADOWHUNTERS***

Alec had to ignore the voice calling for him and focus on his breathing, the lack of oxygen from his panic making the room spin and, in turn, his brain even more unwilling to accept that there could be another person in the room with him and Franklin. _It didn't make sense..._ not unless it was one of Franklin's mind games.

_"-Nathan?"_

Trying to picture the giant of a man, who was supposedly sleeping across the room from him, pretending to be someone else - a _child_ \- why would he do it? _Would_ he do it?

"-Nathan, _please!_ Can you hear me? I need to know you're okay."

Or could there really be someone else there? A child, trapped and defenseless like he was, terrified of the man that had kidnapped them? The thought sent a shiver down his spine. Alec was a Shadowhunter, _although apparently not a very good one,_ but he'd been trained from a young age in the fight against evil. The voice, it sounded _young_ \- too young to have had any decent training - _and_ _too young to have to deal with a psychopath like Franklin._ What was the man doing with a child here? Alec needed answers.

"I-I can hear you. I'm okay." Alec wasn't certain his voice was strong enough to be heard over the fan, but his throat closed up before he could try again. Grabbing the water bottle from where it'd fallen in his panic, the teen could only manage a small sip but it was thankfully enough to moisten his parched throat. "Are you-are you okay?"

There was a long pause and Alec started to drown in self-doubt once more. Was his concussion still screwing with him? The iratze had eased a lot of his pain, sure, but the rune wasn't always the best at dealing with head injuries. What if he was imagining things? Or, what if the monotonous hum of the fan had driven him crazy and was making him hear things that weren't really there?

" _Oh_ , Nathan, I was worried." 

Alec startled at the voice, closing his eyes at the wave of relief that followed. As much as he didn't want to be grateful for the company, hearing the boy's voice convinced him he at least wasn't crazy. _Yet_. "Is Franklin there with you? Is he still asleep?" Alec could no longer hear the man snoring and he didn't want to imagine what might happen if he woke up and caught them talking to each other.

"He's... asleep. Don't worry, he can't hear us," the voice promised.

Alec wanted to trust the boy, but he didn't know the first thing about him. "How long have you been here? Are you hurt? How did you get here? Where are your _parents_?"

There was a soft chuckle. "That's a _lot_ of questions."

"Sorry." Alec shrugged, rolling his eyes when he realised the boy couldn't see him. "I just... I don't really know what I'm doing."

"Is this your first kidnapping?"

"Uh..." Alec frowned. "Yes?"

"Sorry, that was inappropriate. I'm joking, of course."

Alec fiddled with the label on his bottle of water, his exhausted brain trying and failing to keep up with everything happening. "You're not... he hasn't hurt you?"

"I'm okay, Nathan. I'm not hurt." 

"Okay." The relief was an almost physical thing. Alec had so many more questions he wanted to ask but he couldn't concentrate on any one in particular, his mind overwhelmed at the new information. "Are you Nephilim?" While he sounded too young to have had his Rune ceremony yet, Franklin had Alec's stele so there was nothing to stop him from forcing the boy to activate any rune he might need if Alec refused to help. The thought of Franklin using an innocent child that way made Alec sick to his stomach.

"I am, but I can't use the Angel's runes. They... don't work."

_Oh_. It wasn't unheard of. Sometimes a Nephilim's body could be resistant to the angelic power. Alec's own father had reacted negatively to his first rune when he was a child. It'd almost killed him. Could that be why Alec was here - as a replacement for the boy? "Has he got you chained up too?"

"No."

Confusion growing, Alec scrubbed a hand over his tired face. "Franklin has my stele. Do you think you-"

" _No_! I can't... If he finds out I helped you, he'll... I _can't_ , Nathan. I can't!"

The boy's fear sent Alec's pulse spiking in sympathy. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I won't ask again." Giving him a few moments to calm down, Alec used the time to listen out for any sign of Franklin stirring. In his panic, the boy might miss it and Alec wouldn't allow the ex-Shadowhunter's fierce temper to be taken out on him. When he heard nothing over the sounds of their panicked breathing and the steady thrum of the fan, he spoke again. "You tried warning me before, didn't you? When I was trying to get free from the cuffs. You told me not to make so much noise."

The boy hummed his agreement. "Franklin is... He's a very dangerous man. You shouldn't provoke him."

Alec had already learned that the hard way. His fingers prodded the scabbed over cut at his throat. "Can I... Can I see you?" It was all well and good talking across a dark room, but that did little to ease his suspicions. 

"No." The answer came fast. "I don't think that's a good idea. My situation, it's... _complicated_."

" _Complicated?"_ If the boy wasn't restrained, why was he still here? Alec could send him to get help. Unless he was actually complicit in Franklin's crazy plan, and then where did that leave him? "I don't understand. Why are you here if _he_ isn't forcing you to stay?"

As if sensing Alec's growing hysteria, the boy changed tack. "Listen, Nathan, it's late. You should get some sleep. Franklin will be awake soon and he's... you're going to need your rest."

The adrenaline from his panic attack long faded, Alec discovered he was struggling to keep his eyes open. Realising the conversation was coming to an end, whether he wanted it to or not, the teen had no choice but to agree. "Okay."

"I'll try my best to talk to you again, Nathan, but I need you to promise me something."

Alec didn't even pause to consider what he'd be agreeing to. " _Anything_."

" _Don't mention me to Franklin."_

When no explanation followed the strange request, Alec frowned. "Okay, sure."

"Now get some rest, Nathan."

Alec couldn't help the stab of irritation at being ordered around by someone younger than him, but he nodded anyway. " _Wait_ , what's your name?" There was a long pause, and Alec wondered if his question had come too late and the boy was already asleep.

"...You can call me Drew."

Alec huffed out a breath, slumping back down onto the mattress and closing his eyes as exhaustion dug its claws in . While he now had even more questions than answers, knowing there was a possibility that he'd found an ally filled him with a tiny glimpse of hope. "Okay. Stay safe, Drew."

"You too, Nathan."

Alec was asleep in seconds.

***SHADOWHUNTERS***

"Magnus, you have to understand - Franklin, he's not... he's _insane!"_

Maryse's outburst was sudden, startling them all. Pushing her chair away from the table she staggered to her feet, waving off Robert's attempt at following her, and Magnus watched as she paced back and forth across the room, hands worrying at the silver bracelet adorning her wrist when she wasn't swiping away her falling tears.

"Maryse, _please-"_

" _Don't_ , Robert. This is all my fault. What if he-if he... Oh, _Alec..._ "

Magnus felt like an intruder, sitting quietly as Alec's mother fell to pieces in front of him. Closing his palm to erase the image of Blacktower, he gave Maryse a moment to vent her frustrations before stepping in. "Maybe we should-"

" _You_ can stay out of it. This doesn't involve you, _warlock_." Robert spat the last word like a curse, rising to his feet to loom over the still seated Magnus. 

Clamping down on the urge to fling the man across the room, Magnus simply slouched further into his chair and crossed an ankle over one knee, raising an eyebrow in challenge. "If it wasn't for _me_ , Nephilim, you'd still be clueless as to who had taken Alexander."

"If it wasn't for _you_ ," Robert raged, his face a startling shade of red as he pointed a finger in accusation, "my son wouldn't be lying to us about where he was staying. That was _your_ building he was kidnapped from, _wasn't it?"_

Magnus drew his eyes away from the vain pulsating on Robert's forehead and pulled himself upright, using every one of his six feet, two inches to his advantage as he towered over the other man. "Alexander wouldn't feel the need to lie if you stopped treating him like the Lightwood's _dirty little secret_. He's _gay_ , not a leper!"

Robert grabbed the drink Magnus had poured earlier and launched it at the nearest wall, creating an explosion of glass and water that dripped slowly to the floor. Magnus' magic, reacting to the perceived threat, sparked at his fingertips before he could reign it in.

" _Stop it, the pair of you!_ " 

Maryse's shout cut through the mounting tension, causing Robert to back away from the warlock and giving Magnus the chance to extinguish the blue flames before they sought out something, or some _one_ , to attack. "We don't have time for bickering," she admonished, her voice trembling as she made her way back to the desk. " _We need to find Alec._ " Robert tried to place a comforting hand on his wife's arm, but she shrugged him off, her attention focused only on Magnus. " _Please_ , we'll need your help."

Magnus didn't respond, returning to his seat and gesturing for Maryse to do the same. Grabbing his own glass of water, the warlock took several sips and used the time to get a grip on his own emotions. His anger at Robert would have to wait; finding Alexander couldn't. "That's the only reason I'm here," he admitted out loud after a moment, meeting Maryse's red-rimmed eyes. "But if that is to happen, I need to know everything you do about Franklin Blacktower." He switched his gaze to Robert, making sure his words weren't to be misunderstood.

" _Everything_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alllllll the drama 🤣
> 
> Please let me know what you think! I hope everyone is keeping safe 😘


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Struggle all you want, kid," Franklin mocked in a bored tone, for once not reacting to the teen's behaviour with his usual burst of anger. "You're just wasting your time and energy. You can't stop this from happening so you might as well get used to it."
> 
> "Never," Alec growled, just as a knock came from the door at the top of the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna say it... I absolutely HATE this chapter! I've written it, re-written it, started all over again, gone back to the original and then just thought... SCREW IT, I DON'T CARE! 🤣🤣🤣

Maryse swallowed the last of her water, offering Magnus a grateful smile when he waved a finger and refilled the glass for her. She took a steadying breath and started to talk, rejecting Robert's offer of a comforting hand as she focused her attention on the warlock in front of her.

"Franklin was a Shadowhunter here in New York, back before Alec was born."

"The Circle?"

Maryse shook her head. "No. He didn't give Valentine the time of day. He was never into the _us_ versus _them_ thing. He was... he started out as a _nice_ guy." Robert scoffed, but she carried on as if he hadn't made a sound. "He trained the new recruits. I remember Franklin was incredible with the kids, even the troublemakers. There was this one boy - I can't think of his name, but he was _trouble_ with a capital T; always sneaking into places he wasn't allowed to be and breaking the rules, until Franklin took him under his wing. He mentored him and did his best to straighten him out." Sharing a look with her husband, Maryse hesitated. "But everything changed after the _incident_."

Robert took over, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "A rogue group of vamps had been targeting a werewolf pack in Manhattan - picking them off one by one - and we'd been called out to handle the situation." Magnus knew exactly what Robert meant by _handle_ \- the man was an ex-Circle member, after all - but he kept his mouth firmly shut. "Blacktower stayed behind - just him and the young recruits. The kids were preparing for their final test before initiation, so he was left in charge of their safety and ensuring they were ready. When we got back from Manhattan..."

"We walked into a war zone," Maryse finished for her husband when he stopped, her voice cracking.

Robert nodded, running a hand over his face as if trying to scrub the mental image of that day away. "We didn't know what'd happened at first; just that the wards were down and there were demons everywhere. The kids..."

Maryse disguised her distress with a hand over her mouth. "It wasn't until later," she admitted, "after the demons were slaughtered and our dead and wounded had been taken care of, that we found out what had happened."

"The boy that Franklin had supposedly _straightened out_ didn't think their initiation was difficult enough so he'd temporarily lowered the wards and lured a lone Kuri demon into the Institute for practice." Robert's face matched his stern words. "Only it wasn't alone." 

Magnus had dealt with Kuri demons before. With eight pincer-tipped arms and poison-dripping fangs, the spider demons were a dangerous foe for any Shadowhunter, let alone a group of half-trained children. 

"One quickly turned into six, and even with Blacktower there, they never stood a chance. Only Franklin and two of the older recruits survived."

Maryse raised her glass with a shaking hand, taking a mouthful. "When he found out the reason behind the attack, Franklin wouldn't accept the facts. The boy at fault, he had no living family. He'd been taken in by the Institute as a baby and Franklin didn't want him to be remembered as the cause of so much death and destruction, but the Clave wouldn't change his death record. Things pretty much went downhill from there." This time, when Robert offered a comforting hand, Maryse took it. "He became angry and withdrawn," she continued after a pause. "Franklin was speaking out of turn, especially against the Clave, and lashing out at those around him. I tried to offer my support; let him know he had a friend that he could talk to if he needed, but he took that as an invitation that I was interested in him." 

Magnus saw the scowl that covered Robert's face at the words, painting it a dark, angry red. The hand that wasn't comforting his wife was once more clenched on the desktop.

"A month after the Kuri demon incident, Robert and a friend, Michael, were out on late night patrol with Franklin. I'd spoken to him earlier that day, telling him in no uncertain terms that I wasn't interested in him in that way and that Robert and I were dating... I - I assumed he'd understood the message, but I was _wrong_."

"A mundane had attacked a visiting envoy from Idris," Robert explained, wearily. "We'd tracked him to a park in Brooklyn and it was there that we discovered he wasn't a mundane, but a shape-shifting Du'sien demon. It was an easy corner and kill - Blacktower even took the lead - that demon never stood a chance. But afterwards, it was like Franklin was overcome with the bloodlust. He took out Michael with the very same blade and he came at me so fast that I didn't have time to react or defend myself."

Maryse sniffed. "I'd found out that same evening that I was pregnant with Alec. I was going to give Robert the news when he got back, but instead I had to rush to his bedside and watch as he fought for each breath." Meeting Magnus' eyes, her whole body shuddered. "Franklin found me and explained his version of events. He said the demon had overpowered them. He...he _held me_ as I cried, all whilst lying to my face."

"Blacktower didn't expect me to survive."

Maryse agreed. "He stayed with me at Robert's bedside for days, offering a shoulder to cry on. It was seventy-two hours later and I'd just sent him away to get some food when Robert thankfully woke up and revealed the truth about what had happened. In the end I had to..." She paused, turning to face her husband as if to apologise for her prior actions. Robert only squeezed her hand in a show of support. "No one wanted an outright confrontation with him," she explained as she turned back to Magnus. "They'd finally realised he was an incredibly dangerous man, so I had to pretend that I still believed his story." 

Magnus refilled Maryse's glass for a third time as she set it back on the desk empty.

"It was Robert's word against _his_ and the Clave wanted undeniable proof before they would act," Maryse continued, "so I convinced Franklin that I'd made a mistake when I'd turned him down before - that I really did care for him and that I was ready to... to run away with him. I even packed my bags. _He believed me._ " The disgust was evident in her voice. "Just as we were preparing to leave, I made him confess to his attack on Michael and Robert. Fortunately the Clave were on standby and portalled in to arrest him on the spot. He was... I've never seen someone so furious."

"The Clave sentenced him to exile," Robert finished, his face pale. "He was deruned within twenty-four hours and banished, but he continued to cause trouble with the Institute so they had his memory wiped." Meeting Magnus' gaze, the Lightwood patriarch growled. "He wasn't ever supposed to remember the Shadow World. The warlock that took his memories guaranteed it. _So why has Franklin managed to kidnap our son?_ "

Magnus gave Robert's question some serious consideration, purposefully ignoring the accusatory tone that accompanied it. He'd done his fair share of memory spells over the years and they were nothing if not tricky. Unfortunately their longevity depended entirely upon too many factors for him to pinpoint a single reason why it might've failed, particularly as he wasn't the one to perform the spell, although he wasn't sure Robert would find that answer acceptable. Thankfully he was saved from having to respond by Maryse, who rose to her feet and started to pace the room once more.

"The _how_ isn't of concern to us, Robert," she chastised sharply, spinning to face him. "We need to concentrate on finding Alec before he-he..."

Sensing the brewing tension between the couple, Magnus cleared his throat to catch their attention. "Look," he reasoned gently. "We have more to go on now than we did before. Would the Clave have kept any details on where Blacktower was relocated to after exile?" Whilst not the Clave's biggest fan, he didn't think they'd simply wipe Franklin's memories and abandon him with the mundanes, not without some way of checking up on him.

"I can make some enquiries," Robert offered, rising to his feet and grabbing his stele. That he set about the task immediately won him back a miniscule amount of Magnus' respect. The man was seriously flawed, but maybe he _did_ care about his son, even if he didn't always show it very well.

Taking it as his own cue to leave, Magnus waited until Robert had kissed his wife on the cheek and sequestered himself away at the rear of the room before pushing his own chair back, using a burst of magic to clear away their drinks, the extra chairs he'd summoned, and to rid the room of the smashed glass and puddle of water from Robert's earlier outburst. He ignored the wave of exhaustion that followed as he rose to his feet, already planning out the next several hours of his time in his head, but Maryse distracted him with a gentle nudge to his elbow.

"Magnus." Her voice was soft and full of concern. "When was the last time you slept? You look exhausted."

Unwilling to admit he'd spent the previous two days and nights in an alcohol-induced haze of insomnia after his argument with Alec, Magnus brushed the question off with a wave. "I'm fine. I can rest once Alexander is safe."

Maryse raised an eyebrow and despite how emotionally drained she looked herself, she still managed to make Magnus feel guilty. "Alec would want you to take care of yourself, Magnus. _Please_."

"I will," he promised with an honest smile. When he'd first started dating Alec, the thought of the woman in front of him showing him anything other than polite disdain had seemed about as likely as him growing a second head, but the genuine compassion radiating from the dark-haired Nephilim now only proved that he'd been wrong. "But first, there's some people I need to see and then I have to gather a few fresh ingredients so I can try my tracking spell again. Alexander can't remain hidden from us forever."

The last was said to himself, but Maryse nodded, looking a little lost as she wrapped her arms around her middle. "I suppose I should go find Izzy and Jace. After my dramatics earlier they deserve to know what's going on." She didn't sound very happy at the prospect.

"Ah, yes. If you could please tell Isabelle I will talk to her as soon as I'm back. Also," he added as an afterthought, "tell Jace he isn't to go far. I'll need his help later."

Assuming the conversation over, Magnus turned to leave but Maryse grabbed him by the arm, her thin fingers digging bruises into his skin. " _Magnus_ ," she hissed into his ear, suddenly hysterical once more. "You don't know this man like I do. The awful things he's capable of! Alec is in _serious_ danger. We need to get him back." Fresh tears fell but she blinked them away. "I don't know what I'll do if..."

Magnus didn't let her finish, his voice harsh as he forced her to pay attention. " _Listen to me._ " Maryse's mouth snapped shut, her blue eyes wide and fretful. "Your son is a fighter and he knows how to take care of himself. That said, I am doing everything in my power to bring him back to us; you have my word on that - _whatever it takes_. Blacktower will regret the day he was born if he's dared to harm a single hair on Alexander's head."

At Maryse's accepting nod, Magnus exited the office and called upon his tiring magic to summon a portal back to his apartment. As he stepped through, he found himself repeating his own words over and over like a mantra. _Whatever it takes, Alexander. Whatever it takes._

***SHADOWHUNTERS***

Alec woke to the kind of grogginess that only ever followed a period of long, uninterrupted sleep. It was unexpected to say the least, but he couldn't say he felt particularly refreshed; not with the persistent ache in his bones from laying in the same position the entire time, and not with the hunger that'd burrowed down deep into his gut - a strong reminder that it had been far too long since he'd had anything of substance to eat. There was also the fresh scent of cigarette smoke tickling at his nose, so it wasn't much of a surprise to crack open an eyelid and find the tanned face of Franklin looming over him from a seat beside the bed. Wanting nothing more than to close his eyes and go back to the oblivion offered by sleep, Alec scrubbed his drowsiness away with one hand, sitting up and positioning his body as far from the larger man as his cuffs would allow.

"You sleep like the dead, kid." Franklin's words sent a shiver down his spine but Alec kept his mouth shut, even as he wondered how long the man had been sitting there, watching him. He noted the ex-Shadowhunter's damp hair and the set of new clothes, realising that at some point he'd left to freshen up. Alec was a little disconcerted to know that it hadn't stirred him from his sleep. 

Franklin rocked his chair back onto two legs, checking the time on his watch before pulling Alec's stele from a pocket of his hooded jacket. Tossing it onto the mattress by Alec's hip, he pulled an apple from another and shined it against the creased material of his shirt. " _Block_ rune. Reactivate it."

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes at the gruff instructions, Alec did as he was told. The familiar weight of his stele was a comfort, the metal cool to the touch but warming gently beneath his fingers as he ran it over the rune on his throat. The rune was still active from where he'd been forced to use it the day before, but Alec knew its power would last even longer now, ensuring that Magnus, or anyone looking for him, would continue to struggle to pinpoint his location. Blinking slowly, he held the stele out for Franklin to snatch back, not daring to risk showing an ounce of hesitation in the decision; not after the last time. Despite the sleep he'd managed after his conversation with Drew, Alec could feel the activated rune burning into the last of his energy reserves and against his will, he found his eyes travelling to the shiny green apple clutched in his kidnapper's fingers.

Franklin saw and took a large bite, offering Alec a smirk as he chewed loudly and with his mouth open. "Sorry, Sleeping Beauty, but you snoozed through breakfast." The fruit was tossed in his direction and Alec caught it before it could smack him in the face. "That'll have to tie you over until later."

Eyeing the apple with a mixture of hunger and disgust, Alec grit his teeth. The thought of eating anything the thug in front of him had bitten left a sour taste in his mouth, but he was beyond hungry and he knew if he didn't eat something soon he'd be useless when it came to trying to escape. His only other alternative - passing out from starvation before Franklin could force him to enact his revenge plot - was a ridiculous plan anyway. Turning the apple over in his fingers until he found an untouched part, Alec ignored Franklin's beady eyes as he took a small bite, forcing his brain to concentrate on the sweet taste instead of picturing the nicotine-stained fingers and teeth that had been all over it a moment ago.

Franklin's smirk only grew wider. " _You're welcome._ " The condescending tone was clearly meant to rile, but Alec let it go, not in the mood for playing games. He took another bite, larger this time, and ignored the juice as it dribbled down his wrist, chewing slowly as he used Franklin's momentary silence to listen for any signs of Drew coming from the other side of the partitioning wall. There was nothing. Alec was annoyed that he'd missed the opportunity to speak to the boy again when they'd been left alone, but Franklin leaning forward in his chair quickly brought his attention back to the man in front of him. "You know, kid, you're not very talkative."

Alec paused mid-chew, dropping his eyes to mask his sudden burst of irritation. Franklin hadn't exactly been the most forthcoming either, preferring instead to lash out and threaten if Alec so much as looked at him the wrong way. Swallowing, he forced himself to meet Franklin's gaze even as his fingers clutched at the apple, his appetite gone. "What do you want me to do, ask why I'm here? Because I think it's a little obvious." His words were sharper than he'd planned, but Alec was beyond caring. 

The ex-Shadowhunter studied him closely, hazel eyes burning holes through him as he glared. The seat creaked beneath the man's large frame as he sat further forward, closing the gap between them. "Oh, _obvious_. Please, Nathan, enlighten me. What exactly do you think I'm planning?"

Alec knew whatever he said next would likely fuel the man's anger, but he was sick of biting his tongue and getting slapped around anyway. Still, he chose his next words carefully. "From the way you reacted before, when I mentioned the Clave, you don't believe your _punishment_ for the crime you committed was justified." He paused, offering Franklin the opportunity to jump in and defend himself but the man just raised an eyebrow and waited for him to go on. "Realistically, you'd have no chance against the Clave anyway, and you'd certainly need more than one kidnapped Shadowhunter to gain their attention." The raised eyebrow quickly turned into a scowl, Franklin's face darkening at the implied insult so Alec hurried on, sensing the man was regretting his decision to let him speak. "Or, at least, someone more important than me." _Nathan Midwinter_ was, as far as Franklin was concerned, a nobody. Alec needed him to keep believing that. "That means your obvious target would have to be something smaller. Like the local Institute."

At this, Franklin smiled unpleasantly. "You're from the New York Institute." 

It wasn't a question but Alec nodded anyway, watching as Franklin huffed, like the answer didn't please him. "I was too," the man admitted, the scowl not leaving his face. " _Before_." Alec didn't know what to say to that so he kept quiet. 

"Your precious Clave," Franklin continued, leaning backwards and making himself comfortable in his seat, "nearly killed me when they wrongfully took my runes. And then they had a warlock wipe my memories because they figured it'd be _safer_ for them if I didn't remember their treachery. _They should've known it would take more than a pathetic spell to make me forget that_ Trueblood _bitch_." Alec's heart stuttered and he forgot how to breathe, throat closing over as Franklin continued to ramble. "She and her husband currently run the New York Institute together, so I suppose I don't need to tell _you_ who they are. But trust me, boy - they're dangerous people; that Lightwood creep in particular."

Alec clenched his fists to disguise the anger that flooded his veins at Franklin's hate-filled words about his parents, having to let go of the apple so it wasn't crushed in his grasp. He dropped it to the mattress, not caring where it fell or the mess it left behind.

"And that's the reason you're here, Nathan," Franklin confided with a wink, oblivious to the reason for the storm of emotions raging through his young captive. "Those two destroyed my entire life, so you're going to give me the information I need to wipe that Institute and everyone inside it off the map."

The conversation barely registered, Alec's mind like a scratched record replaying the same two words over and over. _Trueblood_. _Lightwood_. His mom's name before she'd married was Trueblood and there had been no other Lightwoods at the Institute in the last twenty years other than his father and Alec's own siblings... That meant his earlier fears had been true all along: Franklin _was_ planning an attack on his friends and family. 

The small amount of apple Alec had eaten sat like a lead weight in his stomach. He had to swallow down the rising nausea, mouth flooded with saliva as his stomach rebelled. " _You're crazy_. You can do whatever you want to me but I'll _never_ help you," he hissed, finding his voice, but Franklin just chuckled.

"Calm yourself, kid." He could see the effect his words were having on Alec, yet it only seemed to encourage him. "I know you'd never willingly offer out that sort of information. That's why I've called in an _associate_. They'll be here soon and then we can get started."

" _You'll have to kill me first!_ " Struggling against the cuffs tethering him in place, Alec kicked out at the man, knowing it would achieve nothing but needing to take his growing frustrations out in any way he could. His leg couldn't quite reach, and neither could his hand that grabbed for the fan to use as a makeshift weapon, but Franklin increased the distance between them with a scrape of the chair, pushing himself backwards anyway. He slouched back, arms crossed, as if watching a child throwing a temper tantrum. It only made Alec fight harder, even as the metal of the cuff sliced into the delicate skin of his wrist.

"Struggle all you want, kid," Franklin mocked in a bored tone, for once not reacting to the teen's behaviour with his usual burst of anger. "You're just wasting your time and energy. You can't stop this from happening so you might as well get used to it."

" _Never_ ," Alec growled, just as a knock came from the door at the top of the stairs. 

Franklin, done with the conversation for now, climbed to his feet and stomped away to let his visitor in, leaving Alec to slump back onto the mattress to catch his breath. He refused to accept that he'd play any part in the downfall of the Institute or that he'd ever allow any harm to come to his friends or family while he was still breathing. Rubbing gingerly at his sore wrist, Alec didn't pay attention to Franklin as he greeted his guest, aware only that his time was running out. Instead, he focused once more on trying to squeeze his hand through the metal bracelet trapping his wrist. The skin there was broken, a sheen of blood coating the dark, purpling ring of bruises, but he used the fading adrenaline from his outburst to pull as hard as he could, biting his lip against the ensuing pain. It didn't work, no matter how hard he tried, and Alec gave up with a frustrated growl that bordered on a sob, dropping his head into his hands as the hopelessness of his situation sunk in.

"Unfortunately, he's not in the most cooperative mood at the moment."

Franklin's amused voice from nearby made Alec lift his head, looking up with an angry glare. He let his eyes skim past the familiar outline of his kidnapper and over to the slim, feminine figure that stood next to him, eyes widening in shock as he took in the face of the newcomer.

"Oh _my_ , what _do_ we have here?"

Alec didn't need to hear the twang of a British accent to recognise the woman standing before him. She was _big_ trouble, and not just because she was a warlock working for Franklin, but _because she knew his true identity._

"Oh, _sweetie_ ," she drawled, a vicious grin lighting up her storm-grey eyes as she took in the state of the Shadowhunter in front of her, recognising him just as quickly. "Got ourselves into a little bit of a mess, have we?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A free puppy to everyone that leaves a comment ♡


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shadowhunter flinched, trying his best to pull away as a muttered incantation sent Ana's unfamiliar magic sinking deep into his skin, but the warlock's grip was too strong, holding him in place. "What are you doing? Ana, stop!"
> 
> "Hm, this might hurt a little. Don't scream." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick reminder to read the tags (they're updated as each chapter is posted!)

The warlock styled herself like a runway model, not a single wave of her chin-length hair out of place; makeup subtle but immaculate upon her sun-kissed skin. Dressed in skintight jeans and a long-sleeved blouse tucked in at the waist, she stood out against the gloomy aesthetic of the room but Alec knew she was using a glamour, even if he couldn't see through it - the same way Magnus did sometimes when he wanted to disguise his cat-like eyes. Franklin gave her an appreciative look and she returned it with a wink, fluttering her eyelashes playfully, only for their flirtations to be interrupted by the sound of a ringing phone. 

There was an awkward moment as both patted down their pockets, thinking it was their own device making the sound. The warlock shrugged when it turned out not to be hers and Alec watched in silence as Franklin stared down at his bright screen with a scowl. "I gotta take this," he growled unhappily, throwing a look Alec's way before turning back to his guest. "You'll watch him?" 

When she grinned, placing a manicured hand on the ex-Shadowhunter's arm with an, "Oh, sweetie, I'll take _great_ care of him," Franklin nodded and made his way outside, leaving Alec and the woman alone.

Whilst the initial surprise at recognising the newcomer might have passed, Alec's fear hadn't. The warlock knew him by his true identity, not the false one he'd given to Franklin, and she wasn't the kind of person to keep something that important to herself, not if she had anything to gain from revealing the truth. _At least with Franklin out of the room he could try to reason with her._ Swallowing thickly, he met the pair of storm-grey eyes watching him. "Anastasia."

The warlock smirked, placing both hands on her hips as she looked the teen up and down, taking in the metal handcuffs and his general state of disarray. "I must say, Alexander, you've seen better days." Her eyes lingered on the finger-shaped bruises at his throat.

Wrapping an arm around his waist to hold the two sides of his shirt in place, Alec shrugged, not interested in her feigned concern. "What are you doing here?" She was infamous amongst the warlock community for being a troublemaker, but he couldn't understand why she'd be tangled up in _Franklin's_ mess.

The warlock giggled, running a hand through her blonde hair as she wandered off to investigate the rest of the room. "Oh, you know how it is," she called out a moment later from behind the partitioning wall at the foot of his bed. "When a job opportunity comes along, sometimes it's just _too good_ to turn down."

Alec sighed, his disappointment obvious in his next words. "Franklin's paying you."

Anastasia returned to Alec's side, her grin answer enough. "Of course, sweetie. Why else would I be in this rotten place?" Her screwed up face made her displeasure apparent. "Although, I was rather surprised to find _you_ here. That wasn't part of the original plan."

Alec blinked. "So you _do_ know what he's planning? And you're happy to go along with it?" When the only answer he received was a careless shrug, Alec felt his temper flare. " _He's going to attack the Institute!_ "

"Yes, yes," the warlock interrupted with a haughty sniff and a wave of her hand, as if brushing away meaningless concerns. "I'm perfectly aware of the plan, thank you. Maybe if your folks cared a little more about helping out us Downworlders when we needed it, we wouldn't be quite so happy to see them _burn_." She smiled darkly. "Anyway, it's really none of my business what my spell is used for, just that I get paid for it."

"It's _murder_ ," Alec snarled. " _That's_ what you're getting paid for." He struggled against the cuffs holding him in place once more. "And it's my family he's trying to kill!"

Anastasia's composure slipped, the hold on her glamour dropping as she lost control of her own emotions. The picture she'd painted for Franklin of a flawlessly put-together warlock was replaced with her true visage: uneven patches of silver and black scales covering one side of her face, her hair in wild, frizzy tufts, and dark veins that stood out against her pale, sickly complexion. She took a calming breath and called her glamour back with some effort. "Your _Shadowhunters_ ," she spat, "have done _nothing_ for me, so why should I care what Blacktower does to them?"

"You never gave them the chance to help you, Ana," Alec tried to reason, desperate for her to listen to him. "If you'd-"

" _No!_ " she screeched, her glamour flickering in and out of place once more. She took a step back, as if distancing herself from the handcuffed teen would help regain her self control, but when it didn't work she turned around so he could no longer look directly at her. "I'd still be waiting for them to decide if I was worth the bother, Alexander, _you know that._ "

Alec deflated, unable to find it in himself to argue because her words were unfortunately true. Their paths had first crossed several months prior, when Anastasia had petitioned the Institute for help after _acquiring_ an artifact for a rich but mysterious benefactor. At the time, she hadn't known - nor had she particularly _cared_ \- that the jewel had been a gift to its original owner from the Seelie Queen, but Ana had quickly discovered that her thieving actions had dire consequences when her warlock mark - a once beautiful, pearlescent scale on one cheekbone - had mutated and quickly spread into the disfigured picture she was today.

Unfortunately, Downworlder problems that didn't directly involve or endanger the Institute were relegated to the bottom of the pile when it came to being looked into. It was the way things had always been, but that didn't mean it was right. It _was_ , however, one of the many things Alec planned on changing when he eventually took over from his parents. _If he ever made it out of his current predicament..._ He'd directed the devastated warlock to Magnus in an effort to apologise for his parents' unwillingness to help and his boyfriend had taken the time to create a potion that had slowed down the spread, even though he'd been unable to cure it completely. Seelie magic could be troublesome, even for the High Warlock.

"Ana, the Clave will put you to death for this. They won't have a choice." It wasn't an idle threat, either. Although lackadaisical in offering out help to Downworlders in need, the punishments handed out for crimes committed against any Shadowhunter were swift and severe. "What about Magnus? When he hears you were involved-"

Anastasia turned back to face Alec, not bothering to disguise her true appearance this time as she stalked closer, her heels loud on the hard floor. "Oh, _honey_. Magnus isn't going to know I was involved. I'll make sure of it."

"He's the High Warlock," Alec reminded her with a roll of his eyes; his voice steady. "Of course he'll know. _I'll tell him._ " 

With a flick of her wrist, the palm of Anastasia's hand erupted with a yellow flame, her magic burning bright in the room that had no natural light. Alec had seen Magnus pull the exact same stunt many times before, although usually with much more flair and never in a threatening manner. Ana was either out of practice or the Seelie curse was causing more damage than it seemed, because the bead of sweat dripping from her temple showed just how much the display of power was taking out of her. Refusing to show any fear, Alec kept his eyes on the warlock and waited for her next move.

Realising her scare tactics weren't going to work, Anastasia wrinkled her nose, extinguishing the magic with a puff of her breath. "It's funny, really," she mused after a moment of silence, shaking out her hand as if to rid herself from the burn. Alec raised an eyebrow, encouraging her to go on. "You, thinking you'll survive what Blacktower has planned."

The thought had already crossed his mind several times, so Alec didn't show that the words bothered him. Sensing this, the warlock took a step back, perching against the bedside cabinet that Franklin used for the same purpose. Up close, the scales emblazoned across her skin looked inflamed and infected. "Well, you're no fun."

"Ana, _please_." Alec wasn't above begging, not this time. "I can't just sit here and allow this to go ahead. _I can't._ My family need me and I need to get out of here so I can save the Institute. If Franklin finds out who I am, he'll-" He realised his mistake too late.

"Oh, _Alexander_ ," the warlock giggled, one hand covering her mouth as she eyed him with a new sense of respect. "Blacktower doesn't realise what a special little snowflake he has right here in his grasp, does he? Well, this just keeps getting better and better."

_By the Angel..._ Alec tried a different tactic. "Look, if it's money you need, I can help. Whatever he's paying you, I can triple it-"

Despite her eyes lighting up at the offer, her words told a different story. "Why would I ever trust _you_ , filthy Shadowhunter? Do you think you're better than the rest of your kind? Or am I supposed to just trust you because you're shacking up with Magnus Bane?" She tapped a finger against her chin as if contemplating something, her head tilting as she studied him closely. "Speaking of, why hasn't the magnificent Bane scurried to your rescue yet? Not bored with you already, is he?"

Alec flinched at that, the spiteful words cutting deep as his own insecurities reared their ugly head. Anastasia cackled, reaching out as if to ruffle a hand through his hair but he jerked away.

"Oh, _sweetie_. That's it, isn't it? Magnus knows you're here but he doesn't care."

Anastasia had no way of knowing about the argument that'd sent Alec storming out of Magnus' apartment a few nights ago, but a small part of him couldn't help but wonder if her words could still be true. _What if Magnus_ was _done with him?_

Realising she'd hit a sore spot, Ana chuckled. "You're probably better off just letting Blacktower do what he's planning, sweetie. It looks like it'll save you the heartbreak of knowing you're unloved and unwanted."

"Better unloved and unwanted," Alec threw back, overcome with an urge to lash out, the spiteful words falling from his lips before he could stop them, "than a cursed, _despicable_ thief that looks like something a Shax demon chewed up and spat out."

The warlock just laughed, having heard similar words before. "Ohh, the boy's got teeth and he knows how to use them. _I like it._ "

" _Get the hell away from me._ " Alec tried to turn away, ashamed that he'd succumbed to petty name-calling. He was more than ready for the conversation to be over, but Ana wasn't finished yet. 

"Make me an offer," she declared suddenly, catching him by surprise.

"What?"

Tilting her head towards the door at the top of the stairs, she lowered her voice so Alec had to strain his ears to hear above the ever-present whirl of the fan. "Blacktower's on his way back, so we haven't got long. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't help him."

Alec stared, not sure he'd heard her correctly. "You mean other than the fact that what he's doing is _wrong?_ " At her unimpressed look, he rolled his eyes. "Alright, how about this: when I escape from here, the first thing I'm going to do is hunt _you_ down and then I'll hand you both over to the Clave myself."

"Tut tut," she sing-songed with a shake of her head, confident she'd get her own way in the end. "You're running out of time, sweetie. My offer is about to expire."

Alec took a moment to actually consider his options. On the one hand, his chances of escaping without help were slim, if not impossible, and Franklin, despite being easily riled and quick to anger, had yet to make a mistake big enough to allow Alec the opportunity to try. But would it be worth the risk of putting himself at the warlock's mercy and in her debt? _Could she even be trusted?_ Alec didn't think so, but anything that gave him a greater chance to save his family from harm was an opportunity too good to pass up.

"Fine," he agreed, albeit reluctantly. "Get me out of here so I can protect the Institute _and_ my family and I will help you break your curse. That's what you're after, right?" At Ana's smirk, Alec nodded, knowing he'd been played but unwilling to waste the energy it would take to be angry at her.

"I'll need you to shake on it, handsome."

The mischievous glint in the warlock's grey eyes sent a wave of unease through the teen but he buried it alongside the rest of the emotions that he was far too exhausted to be dealing with. "I give you my word." 

Offering out his hand to seal the deal, Alec wasn't prepared for the bony fingers that grabbed at his wrist instead. The Shadowhunter flinched, trying his best to pull away as a muttered incantation sent Ana's unfamiliar magic sinking deep into his skin, but the warlock's grip was too strong, holding him in place. "What are you doing? Ana, _stop!_ "

"Hm, this might hurt a little. _Don't scream._ " 

The hand that wasn't on Alec's wrist clamped down on the Block rune at the teen's throat, sending a shockwave of agony through his entire body. Alec almost bit straight through his lip with the effort it took not to cry out, knowing Franklin was nearby and unwilling to bring the man running when he wouldn't be of any help. Pressure began to build inside his skull and, for one awful moment, Alec thought his head might explode, but, as quickly as it had started, it was just as suddenly over.

As Anastasia relinquished her hold, shaking out both hands as if she'd injured them in the process of her spell, Alec slumped into a boneless heap against the mattress, gasping for breath while the room spun around him. It felt like he'd run a marathon, despite having barely moved a muscle. " _What did you do?_ " he croaked, throat dry as he ran an exploratory hand over the rune on his neck. He couldn't hold back the wince at the lingering traces of Ana's fiery magic, rubbing his fingers against the material of his jeans to soothe the burn left on his fingers.

Leaning close, a little breathless herself, Anastasia offered a toothy grin. "Now, this is only a suggestion, Alexander," she whispered in his ear. "But _if_ you make it out of here alive, you might want to come and find me." With a wink, she stepped away, putting distance between them as she called her glamour back into place, just as Franklin returned to the room from making his phone call.

Smoothing a hand over her perfect hair, Anastasia turned to greet the ex-Shadowhunter as he bounded down the stairs to her side, her flirty smile back in place as if nothing untoward had happened in his absence. "Ah, there you are."

"Sorry, that took longer than expected," Blacktower grumbled, casting an eye over the room as if to check everything was where he'd left it. Noticing the sheen of sweat and sickly pallor to Alec's face, he raised an eyebrow but didn't question it. "Are we ready to get started?"

Anastasia sighed dramatically, as if suddenly troubled by the prospect of using her magic against a defenseless teenage boy. "Unfortunately, there's been a change of plans," she admitted, coyly. "I'm not going to be able to help with your Shadowhunter problem after all."

Franklin scowled, clearly taken aback but already planning one step ahead as he shifted his large body to block the only exit from the room, one hand reaching into the pocket of his jacket that held his switchblade. "Oh, and why's that?"

The blonde warlock did her best to appear oblivious to the implied threat from the man's strategic placement, even as she prepared to call upon her magic if it was needed. "Because, sweetie, when we came to our agreement, you failed to mention that the Shadowhunter whose mind you wanted me to play with was _Alexander Lightwood_." She nodded in Alec's direction, just in case the ex-Shadowhunter didn't fully connect the dots to the teenager handcuffed to the bed, giving her revelation the time it needed to sink in. "This one also happens to be property of the High Warlock of Brooklyn and if he finds out I messed with his latest _toy_ , I'm as good as dead."

Franklin's beady eyes zeroed in on Alec as the dark-haired teen shrunk in on himself, trying to appear as small a target as possible. If looks could kill, Alec would've died a thousand times over already, and Blacktower looked set to make it a reality as he pulled out his switchblade. Having already been on the wrong end of that particular knife too many times for his liking, Alec felt his chest constrict as pure terror siezed him. He'd anticipated Anastasia's backstabbing ways from the very start, but that didn't make her betrayal sting any less and he couldn't bring himself to look in her direction as Franklin stalked forward, closing the distance between them in two large strides.

Anticipating the punch didn't make it hurt any less. Franklin's fist, wrapped around the thankfully still sheathed knife, landed a blow to Alec's cheekbone, knocking him off-balance and his head into the wall at his side, reopening the gash in his hairline the earlier _iratze_ hadn't managed to completely heal. His groan of pain as he pulled himself back upright sounded loud in the small room.

" _Franklin!_ " Anastasia gasped, the seriousness of the situation she'd created only sinking in at the man's sudden, violent outburst. Her cry caught the ex-Shadowhunter's attention and he spun to face her, preparing to unleash his fury in her direction but Alec blinked through the pain and the blood dripping in his eye to throw out a punch of his own. It was weak and uncoordinated but it still managed to knock the knife from Franklin's hand, the blade bouncing once on the floor before skidding out of sight under the bed.

Snarling at the loss of his weapon, Blacktower retaliated by grabbing Alec around the throat, pinning the struggling teen down as he cut off his air supply with his cruel grip. Alec scrabbled uselessly as he tried to fight his way free, clawing at the man's hands and tearing at his clothes; anything to get the hand to loosen so he could take a breath.

With Blacktower's attention focused on choking the life from Alec, a cowardly Anastasia siezed the opportunity to make her own escape before the brutality could be directed her way. She darted past the ex-Shadowhunter, hightailing it up the stairs and out of the door without even a backward glance, letting it slam behind her as a sign of her farewell.

" _No!_ " Cursing vehemently at the sound, Franklin released his hold on Alec and stumbled backwards, ignoring the boy's coughing and spluttering as he swung a fist at the fan on the bedside cabinet, knocking the contraption to the floor in an explosion of metal, plastic, and sparks of electricity as the plug was ripped from the wall. " _Everything's ruined!_ " 

Alec watched, eyes wide with fear, as Franklin roared his frustrations out at no one in particular, tearing at the short strands of his hair with spiteful fingers. The man spun in a full circle, _once_ , _twice_ , muttering unintelligibly under his breath, his face almost purple with rage. After the third complete turn he jerked, his pace starting to slow, and as Alec listened, his voice changed - became higher, sounded younger. Alec could just about make out the words if he listened closely.

" _Please calm down, Franklin. Take a deep breath; that's it. Stay calm. It's okay. We can still figure this out. One more deep breath for me. In and out, that's it._ "

It was a voice Alec had heard before, but the teen couldn't bring himself to accept it. It didn't make any sense. 

Because the voice belonged to _Drew_.

Unwilling to move a muscle in case he disturbed the gradually calming man in front of him, Alec replayed the conversation he'd had with Drew in his head, trying to get the pieces of the puzzle to fit together somehow.

_He's... asleep. Don't worry, he can't hear us. I can't use the Angel's runes. They... don't work. My situation, it's... complicated._

Alec had wrongly assumed that Drew was just as scared of Franklin as _he_ was, but what if that wasn't the case at all? What if Franklin and Drew were actually the same person - like a split personality? _Two people in one body._ It would explain what was happening in front of him now and why Drew wouldn't allow Alec to see him before. It would also answer how the boy could be Nephilim and yet unable to use his runes. Franklin had been deruned, after all, so if they were in the same body, Drew would've lost the ability at the same time. Deruning was supposed to be an agonising process and Franklin didn't seem like he'd owned an awful lot of sanity to begin with. _Was it really that farfetched a belief?_

Franklin jerked, as if startling awake from an unexpected nap and Alec held his breath as the man turned to face him, his beady eyes pinning him in place. The cruel grin that lit up his tanned face warned Alec that Drew had definitely vacated and the man that had been his tormentor for the last few days was back and ready to pick up where he'd left off.

"I'm going for a smoke, kid," he announced, out of the blue. "When I get back, you and I are going to have a conversation about the lies you've been telling."

Alec watched in silence as the large man stomped his way back up the stairs and out of the door, only releasing the breath he'd been holding once completely certain he was alone. Without the constant hum of the fan in his ears, the room was unpleasantly quiet. Stealing a moment to just breathe as the adrenaline abandoned his body and left him a trembling, bleeding mess, Alec closed his eyes in an effort to shut everything out. He was more than ready for it all to be over - the realisation that, once Franklin returned, that would probably be the case almost a relief.

Using the bottom of his shirt to mop up the blood dripping down the side of his face, Alec went to pull himself back up into a seated position, unwilling to let Franklin have his _conversation_ while he was sprawled haphazardly across the bed. His hand hit something as his weight shifted and the teen froze when he looked down at the object lying on the mattress next to his fingers.

_It was his stele._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to read and leave a comment or kudos - they literally make me grin from ear to ear and want to write the next chapter even faster :)
> 
> I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one!
> 
> Coming next: Alec attempts his escape... How well do we think that will go? 😬


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cuff fell open with a satisfying clink and the teen immediately turned his attention to the final restraint at his left wrist, fear making his sweaty fingers fumble the stele in his panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for violence, swearing and a LOT of blood 😔

Alec didn't have time to contemplate a plan of action. Instead, the thunderous crash of the door slamming open and into the wall at the top of the stairs sent his heart into overdrive, the teen frozen like a deer in headlights as Franklin raced back into the room, dark, panicked eyes searching until they landed on him and the stele at his side. " _Don't even think about it,_ " the giant man roared, pointing a threatening finger in Alec's direction as he steadied himself against the doorframe, the reckless charge into the room leaving him off-balance.

Alec knew then, without a doubt, that his time was up. He could choose obedience: to lay in wait for Franklin to reclaim the stele - Alec's only realistic chance of escape - and to suffer through whatever the dangerous man had planned for him, or he could seize the opportunity that had accidentally fallen into his lap and attempt his escape. 

It was an easy decision to make.

Grabbing his stele, Alec reached for the cuff at his ankle, uncooperative fingers drawing a sloppy _open_ rune in record time as Blacktower's cry of outrage filled the room. While the metal tool would normally offer a multitude of advantages for the fight - an _iratze_ for starters, to heal his earlier injuries, and then his _nourishment_ , _strength_ and _stamina_ runes - Alec had no time to waste. He'd have to make do.

The cuff fell open with a satisfying _clink_ and the teen immediately turned his attention to the final restraint at his left wrist, fear making his sweaty fingers fumble the metal wand in his panic. The sound of booted footsteps racing down the stairs froze the breath in Alec's lungs but he finished the final line of the _open_ rune with a sob of relief.

The instant the metal bracelet relinquished its hold, Alec launched himself away from the bed, barely escaping Franklin's grasp as the heavyset man threw himself at the injured Shadowhunter. Ducking under the muscular arms reaching for him, Alec's sole focus was on the stairs - _for freedom_ \- but his weakened legs gave out before he could take more than a single step, the prolonged period of restricted movement and the lack of food coming back to bite him at the worst possible time. The crack of his knees as they hit the rough concrete sent a shockwave of pain through his entire body, knocking him onto all fours and momentarily short-circuiting his brain as he lost the grip he had on his stele. Alec cursed as it rolled away, far out of reach.

Franklin righted himself with a growl, spinning around to grab Alec by the waistband of his jeans in an effort to stall his escape. Alec braced himself against being dragged backwards, but Blacktower caught him off guard as he shoved him in the opposite direction, knocking the air from his lungs in a _whoosh_ as he faceplanted onto the floor. Tasting blood as his lip split from the impact, a desperate Alec rolled onto his side, not wanting to risk being pinned. He kicked out, aiming for his kidnapper's knee, but the larger man absorbed the blow with his shin and retaliated with a vicious kick of his own - one that found a home in the teen's unprotected ribs.

Alec didn't have any breath left within him to scream. Curling inwards to protect his ribs and suck in a lungful of air, Franklin seized the opportunity to kick him again, this time in the shoulder so that when the heavy man dropped to the floor he was straddling Alec's slim waist, using the extra weight he carried to pin him to the ground. 

Frustrated at ending up in the exact position he didn't want, the Shadowhunter slapped away the hand creeping toward his throat, sinking his teeth into cruel fingers when the same hand tried again a heartbeat later. Ignoring the foul taste of blood in his mouth, Alec bridged his hips, overbalancing a startled Franklin enough to knock him forward. He used their close proximity to pin one of the man's arms and trap a leg so he could arch his hips and roll, reversing their positions. It wasn't an easy manoeuvre to make, not when his opponent outweighed him by so much, but Alec put everything he had behind the move, sending a prayer of thanks to the Angel when they flipped over and he ended up with an irritated Franklin beneath him. 

Adrenaline fuelled his fists as Alec landed punch after punch to the scowling face of his dazed kidnapper - _once, twice, three times, four_ \- allowing him to disregard the pain of his bruised knuckles. There was a grim sort of satisfaction, not being on the receiving end of the punches for a change, but Alec didn't allow himself long to dwell, pushing to his feet and stumbling towards the stairs. He only made it to the bottom step before a hand wrapped around his ankle, knocking him off-balance.

Everything went black as he landed, chin first, on the wooden steps.

***SHADOWHUNTERS***

"No, no, _no_ ," Magnus fretted, pacing back and forth amidst a swish of fabric as he studied the sheet of yellowed parchment clutched in his hands. "This isn't going to work."

Jace sighed from his perch on the worktop, his head resting heavily on one bent knee as he aimlessly rearranged a collection of jars so that _powdered eye of gecko_ sat next to _purified demon tears_. He threw a tired glance in Clary's direction and the redhead offered an encouraging smile back, despite her own obvious exhaustion as she sent off another text on her phone and stifled a yawn behind her hand.

It was late. Late enough that Luke had been blowing up Clary's phone for the past hour, wanting to know if she'd be home any time soon. Jace knew his girlfriend needed to get back to the man that was her father in everything but name, but he could also tell that she didn't have the heart to interrupt Magnus and his frantic pacing. He took it upon himself to step in. 

"Hey, Clary. Come on, I'll walk you home."

Two sets of eyes met his, Clary's green ones wide with surprise and Magnus' cat eyes narrowed in disapproval. Jace offered an apologetic shrug as he clambered to his feet, holding out a hand to Clary as she rose slowly to her own. "There's not much more we can do tonight," he reasoned. "We've pretty much tried everything already. The tracking spells aren't going to work." And he was right. Between them, they'd tried every variation of tracking spell possible. Magnus had even created a new one, using Jace's parabatai bond as a point of origin in an effort to locate the other half of his soul, but that had failed just as quickly. Alec just _couldn't_ be tracked.

He watched as Magnus clenched his jaw. The words were painful for them all to hear, despite the undeniable truth behind them, so Jace softened his voice, not wanting his next words to come across as too judgemental or condescending. "We all need to rest and that includes you, too. Alec wouldn't want you exhausting yourself, Magnus. You look ready to drop."

"Do you think Alexander is able to _rest?_ " Magnus snapped, his face as grave as his voice, and Jace scowled at the unnecessary reminder that his brother was in danger.

Clary placed herself between the pair before tempers could flare, wrapping a calming arm around her boyfriend's waist and holding him back as the atmosphere in Magnus' apartment became charged. "I really need to get back," she apologised to the warlock sadly. "But we'll be back here in a few hours, okay? We can start your spells all over again if necessary. Can't we, Jace?"

Instead of answering, the blond lifted them hem of his shirt to reveal the _parabatai_ rune that bound him heart and soul to his missing brother, making certain the warlock could see that it was whole and healthy. "Alec's _alive_ , Magnus. The connection is weak because he must be blocking it, but I can still _feel_ him." Dropping his shirt, Jace ran a hand through his curls, tugging at the too-long strands in frustration. "I want to find him just as much as you do, but it's several hours past midnight now and we'll only end up making stupid mistakes if we carry on this way. We can't afford that."

An uncomfortable silence followed the passionate speech and Magnus closed his eyes as if wanting to block out the young Shadowhunter's words. The tension in his lean frame eventually evaporated as he let out a heavy sigh. "Go on," he whispered finally, reopening his eyes with some effort. "Go home. Get some rest." He offered a kind smile as Clary closed the distance to wrap her arms around him in a hug, her whispered, " _you too_ , Magnus," falling on deaf ears as she pulled away.

Magnus watched as the pair left with a hurried goodbye, hand in hand as they closed the door behind them. He didn't try to control the flare of jealousy that came from out of nowhere, but, feeling guilty for it a moment later, the warlock shook the thought away and resumed his frenetic pacing of the loft as he attempted to keep his tired mind and body alert and on track. 

Alexander needed him to carry on far more than he needed him to rest, but so far he had _absolutely nothing_ to show for the amount of time he'd spent on the task. Nothing that would help them track his boyfriend's location and nothing that meant they were any closer to discovering Blacktower's plan for him. _If it were a simple act of revenge, shouldn't they have found a body by now?_ It wasn't a pleasant thought, but the only other conclusion - that Franklin might be enjoying the thrill of the torture too much to let Alec go - was just too much to contemplate. 

The guilt simmering away at his insides wasn't helping matters either. It was a constant reminder for Magnus that he was the one at fault for the entire situation. The _if only's_ wouldn't leave him alone. _If only_ he'd let Alec explain his reasons for lying to his parents instead of snapping at him. _If only_ he'd stopped Alec from storming out of the apartment that late at night. _If only_ he'd thought to check up on him sooner, instead of wasting two whole days drunk and feeling sorry for himself...

Overcome with a sense of shame so profound, Magnus allowed his frustrations get the better of him, lashing out with a burst of magic that sent his apartment quaking. Potion bottles and jars exploded as furniture skidded across the room, leaving deep grooves in his expensive flooring; windows rattled in their frames; pictures fell from the walls and shelves wobbled, sending priceless books to the ground as the shockwave savaged everything within its path, including the parchment still clutched in the warlock's fingers. As the pieces of yellowed paper scattered to the ground, Magnus joined them, his knees going weak as he crumpled into a heap in the centre of the room, clutching at his head in despair.

It was how Isabelle found him, half an hour later, as she let herself into the apartment, barely awake but with two steaming coffee cups balanced in her hand, ready for pulling an all-nighter if that was what it took to find her missing brother. "Oh, _Magnus..._ "

Kicking the door shut with a booted foot, she dumped the hot drinks on the floor and sat down beside the forlorn warlock, ignoring the chaos around them and simply offering a shoulder for him to cry on.

***SHADOWHUNTERS***

Alec came to on his back a few seconds later with Franklin looming over him. The man had dragged him away from the stairs and back into the middle of the room. Blinking through the haze clouding his vision, Alec tried to scoot away but Franklin pinned him in place with a heavy hand.

"I'm gonna take great pleasure," Blacktower spat, blood streaming from his nose where Alec had hit him, "in tearing you to pieces." 

Alec didn't have the energy to waste on voicing a response. His neck felt wet, _sticky_ , and his chin felt numb from where it'd collided with the steps. His concussion was back with a vengeance and he knew he was losing more blood than he could afford, but Alec couldn't do a thing to change it. His chances of making it out of the room, his prison cell, alive were growing slimmer and slimmer with each passing _thud_ of his heart, but the Shadowhunter wasn't ready to give up just yet.

Realising his words were falling on deaf ears, Franklin backhanded the teen across the cheek, leaning in close to growl in his face. "Once I'm done with you, your bitch of a mother won't even recognise you. I'll dump your body on the Institute's doorstep for her to trip over."

Alec swallowed a mouthful of his own blood, choking on the thick, metallic taste. He knew beyond all doubt that he was a skilled fighter - he'd been trained from a very young age to defeat demons and vanquish evil, after all - but _right then_ , all he knew was that Franklin outmatched him in every way that mattered. It wasn't enough to stop him from lifting a hand to grab at the ex-Shadowhunter's shirt. He missed, but it caused Blacktower to rear back, giving Alec the space he needed to raise a knee between them and kick out with every ounce of his remaining strength. It only worked because the larger man wasn't expecting it and Alec couldn't help the slightly hysterical bark of laughter that escaped at the crash of Franklin's body hitting the floor.

Unsurprisingly, his attacker recovered far quicker than an exhausted Alec anticipated, towering back over him a heartbeat later with dark eyes that promised retribution. The Shadowhunter only caught the glint of light reflecting off metal in warning before a knife was coming at his face. _Franklin had found his missing switchblade during his fall_. Alec had no defense available to him, so he grabbed the blade of the knife with his bare hand to halt its momentum, hissing as it sliced deep into the meat of his palm. It was an incredibly dumb move, but it did what it had to.

The look of disbelief on Blacktower's face only bolstered Alec's ability to ignore the excruciating pain, tightening his grip and twisting to loosen the man's hold on the deadly weapon. It didn't have the desired effect this time as Franklin grabbed Alec by the front of his shirt and dragged him forward into a vicious headbutt. _That_ was enough to dislodge Alec's grip. It was almost enough to knock the teen back into oblivion, the knife clattering to the floor where it was quickly snatched up as Alec tried to recover from a freshly broken nose and streaming eyes.

"She won't even see me coming," Franklin wheezed, continuing with his earlier threats as if he hadn't been interrupted. "I'll be there in the shadows, waiting for her back to be turned and then I'll pounce. Pay her back for the way she treated me all those years ago; for treating me like the scum at the bottom of her shoe. _I'll show her..._ "

Alec yelled in fear, both at the spiteful words and as the blade came for him again. This time it split the skin of his arm from wrist to elbow, like a warm knife cutting through butter as he threw it up to protect his face. The sickening sensation sent Alec's stomach lurching into his throat, but the knowledge that he needed to make it out alive if he wanted to protect his family - _to ever see Magnus again_ \- spurred him on like a jolt of electricity to the brain.

Groping blindly at the floor around him, searching for something, _anything_ , that could be used as a weapon of his own as Franklin readied to strike for a third and possibly a final time, Alec's bloodied fingers chanced upon his stele. With the last dregs of adrenaline surging through his veins, Alec wrapped a hand around the hilt of the metal wand and struck out wildly, only sensing his aim was true when Franklin wailed like a dying cat and the man's crushing weight tore itself away. Not caring that his stele was ripped from his grasp at the same time as Franklin lurched backward, Alec used his newfound freedom to pull himself to his feet and scramble unsteadily for the stairs.

_Freedom_.

It was so close, he could taste it beneath the iron tang of his blood.

It took every ounce of self-control Alec possessed to resist the urge to turn around; to make sure Franklin was still out of commission and not creeping up behind him. Instead, studiously ignoring the vibrant splash of _red_ that saturated him and everything around him, Alec forced one foot in front of the other, grabbing for the handrail of the stairs with his good arm and dragging his exhausted body up each of the towering steps in front of him. It was a punishing feat and Alec considered that climbing New York's tallest building with his bare hands might offer an easier challenge, but sooner than expected he was at the top, breathing laboured, his vision blurred and fading in and out. Only pure grit and determination kept him going, one foot in front of the other, one painful step at a time. Throwing a heartfelt blessing to _Raziel_ as the door in front of him swung open with a gentle push, the Shadowhunter tripped over the threshold and out into the chilled air of a narrow alleyway. 

The sun was low in the sky, the height of the surrounding buildings leaving the alleyway shrouded in shadows. Alec could make out the scattering of soggy cardboard and rotten trash littering his path as he leaned heavily against the wall to draw in a sluggish breath through his mouth - nose too broken to do its job sufficiently. The crisp air quickly cooled the panicked sweat coating his body and Alec found himself shivering. It was enough to encourage him onwards, stumbling in the direction of what he hoped was safety. With each unbalanced step his brain played games, the skin at the back of his neck tingling as if anticipating the reach of Franklin's cruel hands from out of the darkness; trying to drag him back into that hell-hole of the last several days. Quickening his pace a little, just in case, Alec tucked his injured arm close to his bare chest and scraped his shoulder along the brick wall, using it as a guide as the end of the alleyway came into view. _Just a few more steps_ , his brain promised. _Just a few more._

Alec breached the alleyway with a relieved gasp, his footsteps faltering as he lost the wall to aid in holding him upright. Suddenly accosted by the stark brightness of the setting sun - the first natural light Alec had known in far too long - the teen's booted foot hooked itself on a broken slab of pavement and sent him tripping. Adrenaline drained, he couldn't even brace himself for the landing as he hit the cold floor, head bouncing off the concrete with a resounding _thud_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So close, Alec... so close! 
> 
> Do we think Franklin will get his dirty claws back into our boy, or do you think that stele might've done some damage? 
> 
> I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts 💙🥰


End file.
